| Chanterelle | ||||||||||||||
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| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||
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| Species | ||||||||||||||
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C. cibarius C. cinereus C. cinnabarinus C. craterellus C. formosus C. lateritius C. lutescens C. minor C. pallens C. persicinus C. subalbidus C. tabernensis C. tubaeformis C. xanthopus |
Cantharellus is a genus with many delicious and popular edible mushrooms. It can only be found in nature, since it's a mycorrhizal edible fungi. This means it forms symbiotic associations with other plants, making it very difficult to cultivate. Caution must be used when identifying chanterelles for consumption; lookalikes, such as the Jack-O-Lantern, can make a person incredibly ill.
| Table of contents |
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2 Species 3 Use in food 4 Preparation and storage 5 Notes 6 Similar Species 7 References |
;C. cibarius
The best known species of this genus is the yellow chanterelle[1], which is orange or yellow, meaty and funnel-shaped. It has forking gills on the underside, running all the way down its stalk, which tapers down seamlessly from the cap. It has a fruity smell and a peppery taste, and is considered an exellent food mushroom.
In California and the Pacific Northwest of USA there is also the white chanterelle[1], which looks like the yellow except for its off-white color. It is more fragile and found in lesser numbers than the yellow chanterelle, but can otherwise be treated as its yellow cousin.
The Pacific golden chanterelle, C. formosus, has recently been recognized as a separate species from the yellow chanterelle. It forms a mycorrhizal association with the Douglas-fir and Sitka spruce forests of the Pacific Northwest. This chanterelle has been designated Oregon's state mushroom, due to its economic value and abundance.
The yellow foot[1] is a yellowish-brown and trumpet-shaped chanterelle found in great numbers late in the mushroom season, thus earning the common name winter mushroom. The cap is convex and sometimes hollow down the middle, and because of this it is also known as funnel chanterelle. The gills are widely separated, and of lighter color than the cap. It grows on moss or rotten wood, and is an excellent food mushroom, especially fried or in soups.
Chanterelles in general go well with eggs, chicken, pork and veal, can be used as toppings on pizzas, stewed, marinated, fried in butter, or used as filling for stuffed pancakes. Of course these are just examples, chanterelles can push almost any dish up a notch or two.
Since the mushrooms hold a lot of water, a good way of preparing them is to "dry saute" them: after cleaning, slice them up and put them in a pan over medium heat. Wait until they are covered in the water they have released. Now they can be freezed in their own water, or the water can be used in sauces or simply discarded. Fresh chanterelles can generally be stored up to 10 days in the refrigerator.
The species with the common name black chanterelle[1] (Craterellus cornucopioides), is, as its latin name implies, not of the cantharellus genus, and thus not really a chanterelle. It is sometimes called the trumpet of death, though it is in fact a delicious mushroom, and not poisonous. It is hard to find because of its liking for dark and sheltered places.
The False Chanterelle (Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca) has finer, more orange gills and a darker cap. It is edible, but typically a cullinary dissapointment. The very similar Jack-O-Lantern mushroom (Omphalotus illudens) and its sister species (Omphalotus olivascens) are very poisonous; while they won't kill you, they may leave you questioning whether that would be a better alternative for a few days. They have true gills (unlike chanterelles) which are thinner, have distinct crowns, and generally do not reach up to the edge. Additionally, the Jack-O-Lantern mushroom is bioluminescent.
Use caution
Synonyms and common names
;C. subalbidus
;C. formosus
;C. tubaeformis
Species
Use in food
Preparation and storage
Notes
Similar Species
References
Chanterelle is also the name of a commune in the Cantal département in France.