Ashen chanterelle

What it is

The ashen chanterelle is a wild mushroom of the Craterellus genus, with a dark grey to black funnel-shaped fruit body. Its common English names include ashen chanterelle and black chanterelle. It is usually listed under the name Craterellus cinereus, though some sources still use Cantharellus cinereus for the same species.

Its appearance is close to that of the black trumpet, Craterellus cornucopioides, and the two are the usual confusion in the field. The main difference noted in the sources is that the ashen chanterelle has gills or gill-like folds, while the black trumpet does not. Ashen chanterelles also lack the yellow colouring that separates the species from its relatives in some descriptions.

Flavour and use

The species is described as mild in taste and indistinct in smell. Sources say it can be used in the same ways as black trumpets but with a milder flavour, so cooks treat it as a flavouring mushroom that adds depth to a dish rather than a dominant ingredient.

Most of the consulted sources call the species edible, and one describes it as having a good taste. The Swedish-Norwegian guide Svampguiden lists it as edible but not recommended for picking because it is rare, and its header label reads inedible, which conflicts with its own notes. The catalogue record for this topic treats the food use as documented in regional specialist sources, not as a verdict on any specimen.

Ecology

The ashen chanterelle is a mycorrhizal fungus associated with trees. It grows in woodland, and the consulted sources place it in Europe. Because it forms a partnership with tree roots, it cannot be grown on a substrate in the way that saprotrophic mushrooms are, and every specimen used in the kitchen is wild.

Identification and safety

Identification rests on the gills, the grey to black colour and the funnel shape, and it is made against the black trumpet. The sources consulted say that none of the lookalikes they list are poisonous, but they do not establish a complete list of look-alikes for every region, and no source here authorises a reader to identify a mushroom for eating.

Wild mushrooms should be identified by an experienced forager or a specialist, using the full set of features and a field guide for the region. Catalogue inclusion, a food-use record or a description on this page is not a method of identification.

Open questions

The consulted sources give no detail on culinary preparation beyond substitution for black trumpets, no regional names beyond the English ones, and no preservation method. The Svampguiden conflict between its header and notes is unresolved. A regional guide with a recorded food use would settle the distribution and the local preparation more firmly than the sources used here.