Wild Mushrooms – Part 4

The morchella or the true morel is a wild mushroom that is often sought out for French cuisine. Besides the value placed by chefs, they’re often hunted because of their great taste and for fun of the hunt. Another name for morels is Dryland Fish because of their similar taste to fish. Morels grow for two to three years after a forest fire but in areas where fire suppression is practiced you may be able to find them every year. The most commonly known morel is Morchella deliciosa. True morels are spongy and gray or tan in color.

Be careful when looking for morels to not be mistaken and accidentally eat a false morel which is poisonous. The false morel looks like a brown brain. The false morels will have a solid stem and the true morels have a hallow stem.

For more information on wild edible mushrooms and plants, click here