Today we are going to talk about a type of edible mushroom that is characteristic for being one of the mushrooms with the most amount of meat. It's about the Chanterelle pallens. It is a type of fungus easily confused with others of the same species and even with others of another group. Be considered a delicacy that accompanies many dishes and with it you can do many things.
In this article we are going to tell you all the characteristics, habitat and possible confusions of the la Chanterelle pallens.
Key features
Hat and foils
The hat of this mushroom evolves as it develops and reaches its adult stage. When young it has a hemispherical shape and somewhat depressed with a funnel shape. However, as it develops and reaches maturity, this hat becomes flat. Its average size is between 4 and 10 centimeters in diameter. Some older specimens have been found which are more in demand given that they have a greater amount of meat.
The cuticle of this hat is dry and easily removable. Its color is yellow, although it varies in different shades. We can find the hats with different shades of yellow ranging from pale yellow to egg yolk yellow. The margin of the hat is wavy and fine. It is usually sinuous from curved and becomes curved when it reaches maturity.
Unlike other mushrooms, it does not have blades. Instead, it has a hymenium. The hymenium is composed of folds or warts that extend lengthwise and resemble laminae. The folds are forking and are very decurrent around the foot. The hymenium is thick and the same color as the hat. This makes the mushroom quite homogeneous as a whole.
Pie and meat
As for the foot, it is also homogeneous with respect to the hat. It is a foot quite full of meat and has the same yellow color as the whole, although something slightly is declared at the base. It may be one of the characteristics that helps us differentiate this species from another. The texture of the foot is quite smooth and somewhat fibrous. Its shape is cylindrical and its structure makes it thinner from the part of the hat and thicken at the base. This thickening does it in an attenuated way.
Lastly, the meat is quite consistent and thick. This type of mushroom has a large amount of meat and has a whitish color. It turns slightly yellow around the edges. They have a fruity smell and a somewhat sweet taste. It is one of the mushrooms with the greatest consistency in its entirety. The part of the foot, although more slightly fibrous, is one of the most consistent. Thanks to the fact that the foot has a greater number of fibers, it prevents it from being attacked by larvae. This will help it to have a greater capacity to adapt to different natural ecosystems and to have greater abundance.
Habitat of the Chanterelle pallens
This mushroom almost always bears fruit from the beginning to the end of autumn. It is the time when the first precipitations of the hydrological cycle are concentrated. The main habitat of the Chanterelle pallens are coniferous forests or under the leaf litter of deciduous forests. These forests are mainly those of which oak and beech abound. Preferably it prefers in siliceous soils.
To be able to develop in good conditions they need a large amount of humidity. To do this, they take advantage of the litter. Litter is the amount of leaves that fall from deciduous trees and are stored in the ground as it decomposes. These leaves provide a large amount of organic matter and nutrients to the soil. In addition, they have the main characteristic of being able to help in the retention of soil moisture. This is how favorable conditions are achieved so that the Chanterelle pallens can be developed in good condition.
It is considered an excellent edible. It is used numerous dishes like other mushrooms of the genus Cantharellus, but this one is much meatier. It is known as one of the most famous mushrooms among gourmets, especially among the French. It has a fruity flavor and sometimes something bitter. Its production is carried out throughout the year in Parisian markets and is quite in demand.
Confusions of the Chanterelle pallens
As we mentioned at the beginning, this mushroom can be confused with others from its same group and even others from other different groups. Although their confusions they are not dangerous at all, it is more a question of gastronomy than of possible intoxications. This is because the mushrooms with which it is often confused are not toxic. However, they can have a lower gastronomic quality.
The only dangerous tail species that we can mistake for Chanterelle pallens It is known as the olive tree mushroom, with a scientific name Omphalotus olearius. It is a toxic mushroom that has a very similar shape but its cuticle is orange to brownish-orange. It has tight and decurrent blades. We remember that the Chanterelle pallens It has a fold, it is known as a hymenium, and it does not have sheets themselves. Also, this mushroom has an unpleasant smell and taste, which will allow us to identify it in case of confusion.
Another possible confusion is the Chanterelle tubaeformis. This differs in that it has a darker hat and is generally thinner. Another mushroom for which it can be confused and that is not of the same group is the Hygrophoropsis aurantica. This mushroom is smaller and has obvious blades. It is popularly known as the false chanterelle and is a mediocre edible. In this case there are no intoxication problems.
Finally, another of the confusions is the Cantharellus subpruinosus. It is very similar and with similar characteristics at the gastronomic level. It is usually collected mixed. This species is somewhat smaller and has a white sheen that covers the cuticle. This bloom is more evident when the specimen is young. However, it is usually lost in the rains. Another difference is that it has different shades of brown on the foot, which are more evident when the specimen is already an adult.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about the Cantharellus pallens.