Chanterelle
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Chanterelle is the common name of several species of fungi in the genera ''
Cantharellus ''Cantharellus'' is a genus of mushrooms, commonly known as chanterelles (), a name which can also refer to the type species, '' Cantharellus cibarius''. They are mycorrhizal fungi, meaning they form symbiotic associations with plants. Ch ...
'', '' Craterellus'', '' Gomphus'', and '' Polyozellus''. They are orange, yellow or white, meaty and funnel-shaped. On the lower surface, most species have rounded, forked folds that run almost all the way down the stipe, which tapers down from the cap. Many species emit a fruity aroma and often have a mildly peppery taste. Chanterelles are found in Eurasia, North America, and Africa, typically growing in forested areas. They initially gained popularity as an
edible mushroom Edible mushrooms are the fleshy fruit bodies of numerous species of macrofungi (fungi that bear fruiting structures large enough to be seen with the naked eye). Edibility may be defined by criteria including the absence of poisonous effect ...
in the 18th century via their inclusion in
French cuisine French cuisine is the cooking traditions and practices of France. In the 14th century, Guillaume Tirel, a Court (royal), court chef known as "Taillevent", wrote ''Le Viandier'', one of the earliest recipe collections of medieval France. In ...
.


Taxonomy

At one time, all yellow or golden chanterelles in western
North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...
had been classified as ''
Cantharellus cibarius ''Cantharellus cibarius'' (Latin: ''cantharellus'', "chanterelle"; ''cibarius'', "culinary") is the golden chanterelle, the type species of the chanterelle genus ''Cantharellus''. It is also known as girolle (or ''girole''). Despite its char ...
''. Using
DNA analysis Genetic testing, also known as DNA testing, is used to identify changes in DNA sequence or chromosome structure. Genetic testing can also include measuring the results of genetic changes, such as RNA analysis as an output of gene expression, or ...
, they have since been shown to be a group of related species. In 1997, the Pacific golden chanterelle ('' C. formosus'') and ''C. cibarius'' var. ''roseocanus'' were identified, followed by '' C. cascadensis'' in 2003, '' C. californicus'' in 2008, and ''C. enelensis'' in 2017. ''C. cibarius'' var. ''roseocanus'' occurs in the
Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest (PNW; ) is a geographic region in Western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Though no official boundary exists, the most common ...
in
Sitka spruce ''Picea sitchensis'', the Sitka spruce, is a large, coniferous, evergreen tree growing to just over tall, with a trunk diameter at breast height that can exceed 5 m (16 ft). It is by far the largest species of spruce and the fifth- ...
forests, as well as
Eastern Canada Eastern Canada (, also the Eastern provinces, Canadian East or the East) is generally considered to be the region of Canada south of Hudson Bay/ Hudson Strait and east of Manitoba, consisting of the following provinces (from east to west): Newf ...
in association with '' Pinus banksiana''.


Etymology

The name chanterelle originates from the
Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...
'' kantharos'' meaning "tankard" or "cup", a reference to their general shape. Its German name, '' Pfifferling'', refers to its peppery taste.


Description

The mushrooms are orange, yellow or white, meaty and funnel-shaped. On the lower surface, underneath the smooth cap, most species have rounded, forked folds that run almost all the way down the stipe, which tapers down seamlessly from the cap. Many species emit a fruity aroma, reminiscent of apricots, and often have a mildly peppery taste.


Similar species

The false chanterelle (''Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca'') has a similar appearance and can be confused with the chanterelle. Distinguishing factors are that false chanterelles have true gills, while chanterelles have folds. Additionally, color can help distinguish the two; the true chanterelle is uniform egg-yellow, while the false chanterelle is more orange in hue and graded, with darker center. The true chanterelle's folds are typically more wrinkled or rounded, and randomly forked. Though once thought to be hazardous, it is now known that the false chanterelle is edible but not especially tasty, and ingesting it may result in mild gastrointestinal distress. The poisonous species in the genus ''
Omphalotus ''Omphalotus'' is a genus of basidiomycete mushroom, in the family Omphalotaceae, formally circumscription (taxonomy), circumscribed by Victor Fayod in 1889. Members have the traditional pileus (mycology), cap and stipe (mycology), stem structu ...
'' (the jack-o'-lantern mushrooms) have been misidentified as chanterelles, but can usually be distinguished by their well-developed, unforked true gills. Species of ''Omphalotus'' are not closely related to chanterelles. Other species in the closely related genera ''
Cantharellus ''Cantharellus'' is a genus of mushrooms, commonly known as chanterelles (), a name which can also refer to the type species, '' Cantharellus cibarius''. They are mycorrhizal fungi, meaning they form symbiotic associations with plants. Ch ...
'' and '' Craterellus'' may appear similar to the golden chanterelle. ''Cantharellus pallens'' has sometimes been defined as a species in its own right, but it is normally considered to be just a variety (''C. cibarius var. pallens''). Unlike "true" ''C. cibarius'' it yellows and then reddens when touched and has a weaker smell. Eyssartier and Roux classify it as a separate species but say that 90% of the chanterelles sold in French markets are this, not ''C. cibarius''. Similarly, the very pale '' C. alborufescens'', which reddens easily and is found in Mediterranean areas, and northern of Iran is sometimes distinguished as a separate variety or a separate species.


Species

An incomplete listing of species that have been called chanterelles includes: * '' Cantharellus cascadensis'' * ''
Cantharellus cibarius ''Cantharellus cibarius'' (Latin: ''cantharellus'', "chanterelle"; ''cibarius'', "culinary") is the golden chanterelle, the type species of the chanterelle genus ''Cantharellus''. It is also known as girolle (or ''girole''). Despite its char ...
'', which has been split into several species * '' Cantharellus cinnabarinus'' * '' Cantharellus enelensis'' * '' Cantharellus formosus'' * '' Cantharellus lateritius'' * '' Cantharellus minor'' * '' Cantharellus roseocanus'' * '' Cantharellus subalbidus'' * '' Craterellus cinereus'' * '' Craterellus cornucopioides'' * '' Craterellus ignicolor'' * '' Craterellus tubaeformis'' * '' Craterellus odoratus'' * '' Gomphus clavatus'' * '' Polyozellus multiplex''


Distribution and habitat

Chanterelles are common in Eurasia, North America (including
Central America Central America is a subregion of North America. Its political boundaries are defined as bordering Mexico to the north, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Central America is usually ...
) and Africa. In the American
Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest (PNW; ) is a geographic region in Western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Though no official boundary exists, the most common ...
, they can be found from July to November. They tend to grow in clusters in mossy coniferous forests, but are also often found in mountainous birch forests and among grasses and low-growing herbs. In central Europe, the golden chanterelle is often found in beech forests among similar species and forms. In the UK, they may be found from July through December.


Uses


Nutrition

Raw chanterelle mushrooms are 90% water, 7%
carbohydrate A carbohydrate () is a biomolecule composed of carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and oxygen (O) atoms. The typical hydrogen-to-oxygen atomic ratio is 2:1, analogous to that of water, and is represented by the empirical formula (where ''m'' and ''n'' ...
s, including 4%
dietary fiber Dietary fiber (fibre in English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English) or roughage is the portion of plant-derived food that cannot be completely broken down by human digestive enzymes. Dietary fibers are diverse in chemical co ...
, 1.5%
protein Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residue (biochemistry), residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including Enzyme catalysis, catalysing metab ...
, and have negligible
fat In nutrition science, nutrition, biology, and chemistry, fat usually means any ester of fatty acids, or a mixture of such chemical compound, compounds, most commonly those that occur in living beings or in food. The term often refers specif ...
. A 100 gram reference amount of raw chanterelles supplies 38 kilo
calorie The calorie is a unit of energy that originated from the caloric theory of heat. The large calorie, food calorie, dietary calorie, kilocalorie, or kilogram calorie is defined as the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one liter o ...
s of food energy and the
B vitamins B vitamins are a class of water-soluble vitamins that play important roles in Cell (biology), cell metabolism and synthesis of red blood cells. They are a chemically diverse class of compounds. Dietary supplements containing all eight are referr ...
,
niacin Nicotinic acid, or niacin, is an organic compound and a vitamer of vitamin B3, an essential human nutrient. It is produced by plants and animals from the amino acid tryptophan. Nicotinic acid is also a prescription medication. Amounts f ...
and
pantothenic acid Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) is a B vitamin and an essential nutrient. All animals need pantothenic acid in order to synthesize coenzyme A (CoA), which is essential for cellular energy production and for the synthesis and degradation of prote ...
, in rich content (20% or more of the
Daily Value In the U.S. and Canada, the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) is used in nutrition labeling on food and dietary supplement products to indicate the daily intake level of a nutrient that is considered to be sufficient to meet the requirements of 97â ...
, DV), 27% DV of
iron Iron is a chemical element; it has symbol Fe () and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, forming much of Earth's o ...
, with moderate contents (10-1 of
riboflavin Riboflavin, also known as vitamin B2, is a vitamin found in food and sold as a dietary supplement. It is essential to the formation of two major coenzymes, flavin mononucleotide and flavin adenine dinucleotide. These coenzymes are involved in ...
,
manganese Manganese is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Mn and atomic number 25. It is a hard, brittle, silvery metal, often found in minerals in combination with iron. Manganese was first isolated in the 1770s. It is a transition m ...
, and
potassium Potassium is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol K (from Neo-Latin ) and atomic number19. It is a silvery white metal that is soft enough to easily cut with a knife. Potassium metal reacts rapidly with atmospheric oxygen to ...
(table). When exposed to sunlight, raw chanterelles produce a rich amount of
vitamin D2 Ergocalciferol, also known as vitamin D2 and nonspecifically calciferol, is a type of vitamin D found in food. It is used as a dietary supplement to prevent and treat vitamin D deficiency due to poor absorption by the intestines or liver dise ...
(35% DV) – also known as
ergocalciferol Ergocalciferol, also known as vitamin D2 and nonspecifically calciferol, is a type of vitamin D found in food. It is used as a dietary supplement to prevent and treat vitamin D deficiency due to poor absorption by the intestines or liver dis ...
.


Culinary

Though records of chanterelles being eaten date back to the 16th century, they first gained widespread recognition as a culinary delicacy with the spreading influence of French cuisine in the 18th century, when they began appearing in palace kitchens. For many years, they remained notable for being served at the tables of nobility. Nowadays, the usage of chanterelles in the kitchen is common throughout Europe and North America. In 1836, the Swedish mycologist
Elias Fries Elias Magnus Fries (15 August 1794 – 8 February 1878) was a Swedish mycologist and botanist. He is sometimes called the "Linnaeus of Mycology". In his works he described and assigned botanical names to hundreds of fungus and lichen sp ...
considered the chanterelle "as one of the most important and best edible mushrooms." Chanterelles as a group are generally described as being rich in flavor, with a distinctive taste and aroma difficult to characterize. Some species have a fruity odor, others a more woody, earthy fragrance, and still others can even be considered spicy. The golden chanterelle is perhaps the most sought-after and flavorful chanterelle, and many chefs consider it on the same short list of gourmet fungi as
truffle A truffle is the Sporocarp (fungi), fruiting body of a subterranean ascomycete fungus, one of the species of the genus ''Tuber (fungus), Tuber''. More than one hundred other genera of fungi are classified as truffles including ''Geopora'', ''P ...
s and morels. It therefore tends to command a high price in both restaurants and specialty stores. There are many ways to cook chanterelles. Most of the flavorful compounds in chanterelles are fat-soluble, making them good mushrooms to sauté in butter, oil or cream. They also contain smaller amounts of water- and alcohol-soluble flavorings, which lend the mushrooms well to recipes involving wine or other cooking alcohols. Many popular methods of cooking chanterelles include them in sautés,
soufflé A soufflé () is a baked egg dish originating in France in the early 18th century. Combined with various other ingredients, it can be served as a savoury main dish or sweetened as a dessert. The word ''soufflé'' is the past participle of the Fr ...
s, cream sauces, and soups. They are not typically eaten raw, as their rich and complex flavor is best released when cooked. Chanterelles are also well-suited for drying, and tend to maintain their aroma and consistency quite well. Some chefs profess that reconstituted chanterelles are actually superior in flavor to fresh ones, though they lose in texture whatever they gain in flavor by becoming more chewy after being preserved by drying. Dried chanterelles can also be crushed into flour and used in seasoning in soups or sauces. Chanterelles are also suitable for freezing, though older frozen chanterelles can often develop a slightly bitter taste after thawing. One mushroom guide asserts, "Chanterelles are often dirty, and when washed they soak up water like a sponge... rydry-sauteeing...it concentrates their flavor while allowing you to wash them."


In culture

In January 2024, the California golden chanterelle became the official mushroom of that state.


Notes


References


External links


State flower of California, 2024
{{Non-timber forest products Cantharellus Fungus common names Edible fungi Fungi in cultivation Fungi of Africa Fungi of Asia Fungi of Europe Fungi of Central America Fungi of North America Mushroom types Fungi used for fiber dyes