The diameter of this mushroom usually varies from 5 to 15 cm. Spore powder is pale yellow. It turns corn-flower blue where bruised. (There is a similar mushroom Gyroporus castaneus in Latvia, which does not turn blue when bruised.) After a while its flesh changes from blue to yellow. It grows on sandy soil under pines and in mixed forests from July to October. It is a rare and very tasty edible bolete, which one can put it on a pan at once without boiling.

Cepama bez iepriekšējas novārīšanas, ļoti garšīga! Laba kaltēšanai. Radniecīga, retāka un mazāk garšīga ir kastaņu smilšbeka Gyroporus castaneus, kas griezumā nepaliek zila.