Seattle: Reasonably Priced Dried Porcini?

[eight_inch_pestle]

New to the area and recently paid a price for like 1/8th of an ounce that I won't even publicly acknowledge. Would love to find someplace selling them loose/bulk, but good-sized bags would suffice. Prefer retailers in Seattle proper, as we don't really drive. Any recommendations are much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[seattledebs]

If so inclined, you could also join the Puget Sound Mycological Society, or befriend mushroom hunters, and learn to identify and gather your own porcini in season. I have several jars of dried ones saved up, with the help of a $5 craigslist dehydrator. The last couple of seasons have been great -- two years ago I was finding a ton of them.

Debs
www.seattlelocalfood.com

[MsMaryMc]

At World Spice, behind the Market, they're $5 an ounce, and the quality is excellent. Since you're new in town, this is a place you should know about--best place to buy spices in town (as their large collection of business cards from local chefs and foodie icons will attest!)

-----
World Spice Merchants
1509 Western Ave, Seattle, WA

[eight_inch_pestle]

Thanks for the tip, I've been missing Penzeys out here. I walked by World Spice awhile back on my way from the aquarium to the sculpture park (yes, still checking out the tourist stuff), but it was closed and I forgot to look it up when I got home.

[eight_inch_pestle]

mr. chorizo, you outed me. It was indeed about $8 for 1/8th of an ounce, or $1024/lb(!), at the Queen Anne MM.

Thanks all, I'll definitely try the University District market this weekend (was just there for the first time Saturday, but missed 'em somehow), and will head up to Central Market when I get a chance----$40/lb bulk is what I used to pay back in Chicago. Thanks again.

[natalie.warner]

I have seen large bags of porcini dried mushrooms at Costco.

[aftervirtue]

Central Market in Shoreline (right off Aurora) sells them bulk. Last time I checked they were around $40/pound.

[jenn]

hmmm, to my tastebuds, shitake and porcini are pretty different tastes to be swapped out.

I get porcinis at the Saturday U-District Farmer's market. Bags are pretty good sized and cost is reasonable enough that I have bags of them in my cupboard........that particular market is on LOTS of bus lines....

I proably shouldn't tell you what I paid because its mean to make someone cry, especially when you don't know them.

[mr.chorizo]

Funny you mention this bc I was looking to the same thing yesterday. $6 at safeway and $8 at met market for like 7 mushroom pieces. I would recommend going to an asian grocery and buy a giant bag of dried shitakes at 1/1000ths of the price. That is what I ended up using.