Meaning & use
porcini
Last updated
Meanings
nounplural
A type of large wild mushroom with a thick pale stem and a brown cap, valued for its rich, nutty flavor.
Grammar: Used with plural verbs: porcini are expensive, or as a mass word: add porcini to the sauce.
Patterns
- porcini mushrooms
- dried porcini
We picked fresh porcini in the forest last autumn.
The risotto was rich with porcini and parmesan.
Porcini are expensive because they cannot easily be farmed.
nounplural
Dried slices of this mushroom, used to add a deep savory taste to soups, sauces and stews.
Grammar: Usually dried and soaked first: soak the porcini in warm water.
Patterns
- soak the porcini
- a handful of porcini
Soak the dried porcini in warm water for twenty minutes.
A handful of porcini gave the stew a rich, earthy flavor.
He saved the soaking liquid from the porcini to flavor the soup.
Word forms
| singular | porcino |
|---|
Common combinations
- dried porcini
- Add dried porcini to the sauce for extra flavor.
- porcini mushrooms
- Porcini mushrooms grow in woodland after rain.
- porcini risotto
- The restaurant is famous for its porcini risotto.
- wild porcini
- Wild porcini are best eaten fresh.
- porcini powder
- A pinch of porcini powder boosts the gravy.
Synonyms and how they differ
- cep
- Cep is the French-derived British word for the same mushroom, while porcini is the Italian name often used on menus.
- penny bun
- Penny bun is an informal British name for the same mushroom, referring to its round brown cap.
- king bolete
- King bolete is the usual name in science and field guides, whereas porcini is the cooking word.
- steinpilz
- Steinpilz is the German name for the same mushroom, and is not normally used in English.
Word family
- porcino noun
- the rare singular form
- mushroom noun
- a fungus with a stem and cap, often eaten
- bolete noun
- a mushroom type with spongy pores under the cap
Commonly confused: porcini or portobello?
porcini vs portobello
Portobello is a large cultivated brown mushroom with open gills, quite different from the wild porcini.
Practice
Which sentence uses porcini correctly?
Choose one answer.
Porcini are mushrooms, often dried and soaked in cooking. The others describe cheese, rice or pasta.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “porcini”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.