Seasons/Availability
West Coast Black Trumpet Mushrooms prefer growing under hard wood in cool weather and are available August to April. Domestic Black Trumpets are available from November to April or May. Imported from Europe, Black Trumpets are available during summer months stretching into the fall season. Check for availability.
Current Facts
Although related to the chanterelle, Black Trumpet mushrooms should not be confused with the Black Chanterelle which produces visible veins. Black Trumpet mushrooms are called the "poor man's truffle" in France because of the similar dark color.
Description/Taste
Quite delicate and trumpet-shaped, this excellent mushroom produces a waxy charcoal-gray exterior and blackish-brown flesh. In the wild, it looks something like a frail flower and can grow to over three inches in height. Equal in texture and flavor, the cap and stem are both edible. Having a somewhat plushy and soft quality, it offers a rich rather intense buttery woodsy taste that is described as cheesy and earthy. Some fans describe the flavor as a pronounced floral taste with an apricot overtone. Chewy in texture, this lovely mushroom releases a sweet fragrance. Known as a "false truffle", it is often used to impersonate a truffle because of its dark color.
Nutritional Value
Mushrooms provide a good source of protein and contain a substantial amount of B vitamins, copper and other minerals. Sugar-free, one cup of raw mushrooms has about 20 calories.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Popular in French cuisine, black trumpet mushrooms are especially favored fondly drenched in cream based sauces.
Geography/History
Prehistoric cultures believed mushrooms contained special properties that could produce super-human strength, help find lost objects and lead the soul to the realm of the gods. Because of these psychedelic beliefs, mushrooms were used for ritualistic purposes. Black Trumpet mushrooms are believed to have had their beginning in deciduous forests of Europe. Growing wild in similar environments, they thrive where there is a leafy layer on the forest floor. Black Trumpets love rainy damp elements and will even tolerate some snow. Considered a delicacy in France, the French refer to this particular mushroom as the "trumpet of death" because of its ominous color and rather portentous appearance. A relative of the chanterelle, Black Trumpet mushrooms are botanically named Craterellus cornucopioides and are found commercially in North America, Europe and Asia. Preferring northern temperate climates, the main harvest area is in northern California in the United States. Growing on the West Coast, this mushroom can also be found in large groups on the forest floor near beech and oak trees during summer and fall in France. Other names include Horn of Plenty and poor man's truffle because of its truffle-like appearance and similar taste. Craterellus fallax is another choice edible species of the Black Trumpet mushroom. Cultivation of mushrooms didn't happen until the seventeenth century and when it did, it was one big secret. Because of the mushroom's extreme culinary popularity, those who learned and controlled the growing technique would not share any information. The Black Trumpet is one of the most difficult mushrooms to find as they grow on the forest floor and not typically at the base of trees. Their inconspicuous color provides a natural camouflage among the leaves and sticks of the forest, often hiding their existence. Top quality mushrooms are grown in European countries including France and Italy, and clear across the continent to Croatia as the compatible weather in those regions contains the optimal amount of atmospheric moisture to grow perfect mushrooms.
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