Panza de ratón: what it is, taste and how to cook it

What is it?

The panza de ratón, also known as bola de nieve, pedo de coyote or cuesco de lobo, is a wild edible mushroom belonging to the species Lycoperdon perlatum, a gasteromycete with a rounded or pear-shaped body that is gathered while young, when its inner flesh is completely white. It takes its popular name from the similarity of its rounded, soft shape to the belly of a little field mouse. It grows in temperate pine and oak forests, in open grasslands and disturbed areas of the central Mexican highlands, especially in Puebla, Tlaxcala, the State of Mexico, Hidalgo and Veracruz. Its gathering coincides with the rainy season, from July to October, and must be carried out with care: it is only edible when the interior is completely white, before the spores ripen and it turns powdery. It is one of the most characteristic wild mushrooms of the Mexican highlands and forms part of the traditional ethnomycological culinary repertoire.

Origin and history

The consumption of gasteromycete mushrooms, including the panza de ratón, has been documented in Mesoamerica since pre-Hispanic times. Sahagún, in Book XI of the Florentine Codex, mentions several rounded mushrooms eaten by the Nahua under names such as tlaltlacuit and other tlal- (earth) terms that may refer to species of Lycoperdon and related genera. The ethnomycologist Gastón Guzmán described these species extensively in his work on Mexican edible mushrooms, recording the regional names: panza de ratón in Puebla, bola de nieve in Tlaxcala, pedo de coyote in some Nahua communities, and cuesco de lobo in the Bajío. More recent ethnomycological research by Adriana Montoya, Felipe Ruan-Soto and Roberto Garibay Orijel has confirmed the cultural and economic importance of the panza de ratón in rural markets of the highlands. CONABIO documents Lycoperdon perlatum as a cosmopolitan species widely eaten not only in Mexico but also in Europe, where it is called the common puffball. In Mexico, its gathering remains a living tradition in farming communities who know exactly the stage at which it must be harvested.

Characteristic ingredients

Lycoperdon perlatum is a gasteromycete fungus of the family Lycoperdaceae, whose fruiting body is globose to pear-shaped, with a size varying between 3 and 7 centimetres in diameter. The outer surface is white or cream in young mushrooms, covered with small pointed warts or granules that fall off over time, leaving a reticulated pattern. The inner flesh (gleba) is completely white, firm and uniform when the mushroom is young, which defines its edibility. On maturing, the gleba turns into a yellowish-green or brown powder of spores, at which point it is no longer edible. Gathering requires distinguishing this juvenile stage exclusively. In the traditional cooking of Puebla and Tlaxcala it is prepared sliced and roasted on the comal with salt and chilli, stewed with epazote and garlic, in mixiotes with guajillo chilli or batter-fried with egg and topped with tomato salsa. In Hidalgo it is added to soups with maize masa and served as a side dish. Its flavour is very mild, slightly sweet, and its cooked texture is firm and elastic, similar to marshmallow.

Cultural significance

The panza de ratón is one of the most endearing wild mushrooms of the Mexican highlands and a symbol of the country's ethnomycological richness. Its gathering is a seasonal activity that supports women gatherers from Nahua, Otomí and Mazahua communities, who sell it fresh in regional markets such as those of Cholula, Atlixco, Huamantla, Apizaco, Tulancingo and Toluca during the rainy season. The wild mushroom fairs, cultural and gastronomic events held annually in towns such as Senguio, Ozumba, Tlaxco and San Juan de las Huertas, include the panza de ratón among the emblematic species of the season. It forms part of the rich ethnomycological heritage that sustains the traditional Mexican cuisine inscribed in 2010 by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Ethnomycological studies published in the Revista Etnobiología have shown the nutritional value of Lycoperdon perlatum, rich in protein, fibre and minerals, as well as its economic importance for the rural economies of the highlands and its role in the intergenerational transmission of knowledge about the use of the forests.

Frequently asked questions