Black trumpets often grow in small colonies. Bruce Ingram
In the Blue Ridge Mountains, chanterelle family members such as the smooth and cinnabar light up the forest floor with their yellow and red hues, respectively. But their close relative the black trumpet is anything but flashy, as its grayish brown to black color allows it to hide among the forest duff.
That’s too bad as Craterellus fallax tastes every bit as good as its close relatives and even features a fragrant, fruity taste and smell. Trumpets sport vase-shaped tops up to three inches or so across and stems about three inches tall as well. Another trait is that trumpets often grow in small colonies, meaning that if you find one, more are likely nearby. This chanterelle can add pizzazz to any egg or salad dish and goes well in meat recipes as well.
Any story on wild, edible mushrooms has to have caveats. Don’t consume unfamiliar mushrooms until you’ve had an expert identify them beforehand, and only eat small amounts the initial time you prepare them as even choice edibles like the black trumpet can cause gastrointestinal problems for some folks.
Bruce and Elaine Ingram will profile a different wild edible every month. For more information on their book Living the Locavore Lifestyle, contact them at bruceingramoutdoors@gmail.com
