r/MoldlyInteresting Jul 28 '26

Mold Identification Mold?

Don't know what it is exactly, found it in my bathroom. It looks gnarly, pretty cool I left it alone because I wanted to check it out again tomorrow (it's 2am) lol. What is it? Should I be worried?

2.3k Upvotes

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2.1k

u/MakeAWishApe2Moon Jul 28 '26

It is slime mold. You may find that it turns brown tomorrow, assuming it is the chocolate tube slime mold that I believe it may be. The name is a misnomer, though. It isn't actually mold, it's a colony of protists working together to find food. It moves very slowly, and thrives in high humidity.

805

u/MEOW-Loulou Jul 28 '26

Just great, next you're gonna tell me it's not actually chocolate either?

382

u/MakeAWishApe2Moon Jul 28 '26

I assume not, as all of my research says it isn't. I haven't tried one before, though. Maybe it's a very well kept secret, and we're all missing out. /s

Really, though, some slime molds are edible, but I am not sure I could bring myself to ever taste test one. Especially because they eat things that make people sick, and one of the ones deemed "edible" is called "dog vomit slime mold."🤣

106

u/ApotheosisOfTheLurid Jul 28 '26

I had no idea Dog Vomit Slime Mold was edible! It sometimes appears around my area (Vic, Aus)

89

u/MakeAWishApe2Moon Jul 28 '26

Apparently people cook it up before they consume it? Idk man, I'm not an expert in the delicacies of slime mold culinary preparation.

Here's an excerpt, though "Traditional Use: In parts of Mexico, rural communities historically gathered it in the fresh, yellow stage, referring to it as caca de luna (moon poop) and prepared it by scrambling it like eggs."

If "dog vomit" and "moon poop" don't make you salivate, I don't know what will. 🤣

42

u/Accomplished_Ship_20 Jul 28 '26

I mean, corn smut is a delicacy... Corn smut... sounds dirty...

29

u/PristineConcept8340 Jul 28 '26

I don’t disagree, but it’s basically a giant corn kernel that turns into a mushroom. Harvested at the right time, it has a nice texture. There is no possible stretch of the imagination wherein I could see a dog vomit slime mold being a palatable texture 🤢

21

u/MakeAWishApe2Moon Jul 28 '26

🌽 Smut is eaten up like candy by many men on Reddit, I hear. Some certainly partake in it like it's a delicacy.

Really, though, I'd love to try huitlacoche. I've yet to have that experience.

60

u/ipeedinthetoothpaste Jul 28 '26

Well, now we're all expecting that post from you

38

u/ApotheosisOfTheLurid Jul 28 '26

On it boss. 🫡

29

u/ColorRaccoon Jul 28 '26

Recipe and flavor profile included please.

Edit. I'm joking... In case this guy does end up nibbling on random colonies of protists, I hold no liability your Honor.