Chanterelle Cantharellus cibarius.jpg
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Chanterelle is the common name of several species of fungi in the genera '' Cantharellus'', '' Craterellus'', '' Gomphus'', and ''
Polyozellus ''Polyozellus'' is a fungal genus in the family Thelephoraceae, a grouping of mushrooms known collectively as the leathery earthfans. Previously considered a monotypic genus, it now contains the ''Polyozellus multiplex'' species complex. Th ...
''. They are among the most popular of wild edible mushrooms. They 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 (hence its German name, '' Pfifferling''). The name chanterelle originates from the Greek '' kantharos'' meaning "tankard" or "cup", a reference to their general shape.


Description

At one time, all yellow or golden chanterelles in western North America had been classified as '' Cantharellus cibarius''. Using DNA analysis, 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 in
Sitka spruce ''Picea sitchensis'', the Sitka spruce, is a large, coniferous, evergreen tree growing to almost 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-larg ...
forests, as well as Eastern Canada in association with ''
Pinus banksiana Jack pine (''Pinus banksiana'') is an eastern North American pine. Its native range in Canada is east of the Rocky Mountains from the Mackenzie River in the Northwest Territories to Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, and the north-central and ...
''. The
false chanterelle ''Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca'', commonly known as the false chanterelle, is a species of fungus in the family Hygrophoropsidaceae. It is found across several continents, growing in woodland and heathland, and sometimes on woodchips used in ga ...
(''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'' (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'' 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 ''Cantharellus alborufescens'', which is very pale, reddens easily, and is found in mediterranean areas and Northern of Iran is sometimes distinguished as a separate variety or a separate species.Parad GA, Ghobad-Nejhad M, Tabari M, Yousefzadeh H, Esmaeilzadeh O, Tedersoo L, Buyck, B. 2018. Cantharellus alborufescens and C. ferruginascens (Cantharellaceae, Basidiomycota) new to Iran. Cryptogamie, Mycologie 39: 299-310.


Species

An incomplete listing of species that have been called chanterelles includes: * '' Cantharellus cascadensis'' * '' Cantharellus cibarius'', which has been split into several species * '' Cantharellus cinnabarinus'' * ''
Cantharellus enelensis ''Cantharellus enelensis'' is one of several species of chanterelle native to North America. It is a new member of the '' C. cibarius'' complex and wasn't discovered until 2017. Chanterelles identified with DNA sequencing as ''C. enelensis'' hav ...
'' * '' Cantharellus formosus'' * '' Cantharellus lateritius'' * '' Cantharellus minor'' * ''
Cantharellus roseocanus ''Cantharellus roseocanus'' is a species of fungus in the family Cantharellaceae. Found in the Pacific Northwest region of North America, it was originally species description, described in 1997 as a variety (botany), variety of ''Cantharellus ci ...
'' * '' Cantharellus subalbidus'' * ''
Craterellus cinereus ''Craterellus'' is a genus of generally edible fungi similar to the closely related chanterelles, with some new species recently moved from the latter to the former. Both groups lack true gills on the underside of their caps, though they often ...
'' * '' Craterellus cornucopioides'' * ''
Craterellus ignicolor ''Craterellus'' is a genus of generally edible fungi similar to the closely related chanterelles, with some new species recently moved from the latter to the former. Both groups lack true gills on the underside of their caps, though they often ...
'' * '' Craterellus tubaeformis'' * ''
Craterellus odoratus ''Craterellus'' is a genus of generally edible mushroom, edible fungi similar to the closely related Cantharellus, chanterelles, with some new species recently moved from the latter to the former. Both groups lack true Lamella (mycology), gills ...
'' * ''
Gomphus clavatus ''Gomphus clavatus'', common name, commonly known as pig's ears or the violet chanterelle, is an edible mushroom, edible species of fungus in the genus ''Gomphus (fungus), Gomphus'' native to Eurasia and North America. The basidiocarp, fruit ...
'' * ''
Polyozellus multiplex ''Polyozellus multiplex'' is a species of fungus first described in 1899, and is commonly known as the blue chanterelle, the clustered blue chanterelle, or, in Alaska, the black chanterelle. The distinctive fruit body of this species comprise ...
''


Distribution

Chanterelles are common in Eurasia, North and Central America and Africa. 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.


Nutrition

Raw chanterelle mushrooms are 90% water, 7% carbohydrates, including 4%
dietary fiber Dietary fiber (in British English fibre) 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 composition, and can be grouped generally by the ...
, 1.5% protein, and have negligible fat. A 100 gram reference amount of raw chanterelles supplies 38 kilo
calorie The calorie is a unit of energy. For historical reasons, two main definitions of "calorie" are in wide use. The large calorie, food calorie, or kilogram calorie was originally defined as the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of on ...
s of food energy and the B vitamins,
niacin Niacin, also known as nicotinic acid, is an organic compound and a form of vitamin B3, an essential human nutrient. It can be manufactured by plants and animals from the amino acid tryptophan. Niacin is obtained in the diet from a variet ...
and pantothenic acid, in rich content (20% or more of the Daily Value, DV), 27% DV of iron, 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, and potassium (table). When exposed to sunlight, raw chanterelles produce a rich amount of vitamin D2 (35% DV) – also known as ergocalciferol.


Culinary use

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 Mycology is the branch of biology concerned with the study of fungus, fungi, including their genetics, genetic and biochemistry, biochemical properties, their Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy and ethnomycology, their use to humans, including as a so ...
Elias Fries 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
truffles A truffle is the fruiting body of a subterranean ascomycete fungus, predominantly one of the many species of the genus ''Tuber''. In addition to ''Tuber'', many other genera of fungi are classified as truffles including ''Geopora'', ''Peziza ...
and
morels ''Morchella'', the true morels, is a genus of edible sac fungi closely related to anatomically simpler cup fungi in the order Pezizales (division Ascomycota). These distinctive fungi have a honeycomb appearance due to the network of ridges with ...
. 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 Lipophilicity (from Greek λίπος "fat" and φίλος "friendly"), refers to the ability of a chemical compound to dissolve in fats, oils, lipids, and non-polar solvents such as hexane or toluene. Such non-polar solvents are themselves lipoph ...
, 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, soufflés, 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.


References

Footnotes Citations {{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