Snow bulb mushrooms are tuberous mushrooms about the size of a fist that grow deep beneath the snow cover. Although some specimens can be dug up from only 2 feet deep, most tubers grow 4 to 6 feet deep. Once peeled, their edible core is revealed beneath its hard, inedible shell.

Imperceptible Odor. The mushrooms are hard to find without the help of snow bulb pigs, although they are quite common. They are buried so deep under the snow cover that nothing of them can be seen on the surface. However, they give off a scent that is imperceptible to most creatures but that attracts the snow bulb pigs. It takes the animals about 30 to 60 minutes to find a spot where the mushrooms grow. There are usually between 3 and 5 mushrooms per spot in the snow.

Brown and Gold. Snow bulb mushrooms can be divided into two types, the rare golden tubers, and the common brown tubers. Brown tubers are the ordinary mushrooms, have a brown rind, and can be stored for 7 to 14 days after digging. Each tuber is a full day's ration for one person. The golden tuber occurs only once in 20 snow bulb mushrooms and is easily identified by its golden yellow skin. It has a shelf life of only 2 to 10 days but is nutritious enough to feed a person for 3 days, plus it builds up resistance to the cold for a few hours.

Storage. Proper storage is essential to ensure that the mushrooms remain edible for as long as possible and do not lose any of their spicy flavor. Terracotta containers buried in the snow are best suited for this purpose. This usually prolongs the shelf life of the mushrooms to the maximum. The mushrooms can also be processed into various dishes and baked goods, which can extend their shelf life by many days.

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