Top 20 Edible Mushrooms Popular in Pont-Saint-Esprit

Golden chanterelle mushrooms are popular in gourmet cuisine across Europe, where they grow wild during the warm (but not too hot) months. Similar species grow in other countries. Extremely popular with foragers, the golden chanterelle emits an apricot-like scent and contains an array of nutrients that benefit the human body. Several studies suggest consuming extremely large amounts may have detrimental effects on the eyes and muscles.

The mushrooms of this species grow in such tight clusters that they may cover fallen trees and stumps almost entirely in a brownish, puffy coat. Pear-shaped puffballs appear all around the northern hemisphere on decaying hardwoods from fall through winter.

This mushroom is distinctive for the spines, or teeth, that hang down from the underside of its cap. It can be found on forest floors singly or in groups. In spite of the name, sweet tooth, it has a slightly spicy bite and bitter aftertaste. This wild mushroom needs to be cooked before it is truly edible, and only young, parasite-free mushrooms should be harvested.

Although the species name references this mushroom’s physical similarity to a russula, the pinkmottle woodwax (Hygrophorus russula) is a waxy cap. The characteristic sticky cap of that genus dries out quickly in this tricky species. They are quite resistant to insect infestations.

The shaggy mane mushroom is commonly found in North American and European grasslands. Some peoples foraged for its young egg-shaped caps, but it has more recently been found to be a bioaccumulator of heavy metals, meaning it pulls toxic metals up from the soil where it grows. As a result, shaggy manes should not be eaten. The mushrooms usually appear in clusters or “fairy rings.”

Growing wild in the northern hemisphere and introduced to Australia, the saffron milk cap is found in pine forests during autumn. As the name implies, these mushrooms have been harvested for cooking for a long time. They have been known to cause stomach upset in some individuals, however, and carry a risk of being contaminated with heavy metals, so forage with caution.

Hollow bolete (Suillus cavipes) gets its Latin name cavipes, which means hollow foot, from its hollow stem. It forms a mutually beneficial relationship with larch trees. This mushroom has an unusual scaly brown cap. It can grow alone or gregariously.

The snowy waxcap is so-named because its stalk, cap, and gills are often uniformly white; however, tinges of tan or peach may occur with age, especially on the center of the cap. The species can be found in temperate grasslands and woodlands across the northern hemisphere, and in some parts of Australia.

The aniseed funnel (Clitocybe odora) is a distinctive mushroom, boasting an aquamarine or seafoam coloration on its cap, although this may fade to white with age. It's species name, odora, is suggestive of another distinguishing quality - individuals usually give off a strong, star-anise like smell (similar to black licorice).

The cap is initially hemispherical with a margin that is rolled inward, later flattening to become convex or flat with a depressed center and margin that curves upward slightly; it reaches 3–13 cm (1.2–5.1 in) in diameter. The cap surface has a felt-like texture and is slightly sticky to the touch. Its colour is orange to yellow-brown or orange-brown, with concentric rings that are palest near the margin. The thin, crowded gills have an adnate to slightly decurrent attachment to the stipe, and are a pale pinkish-buff colour. The cylindric stipe measures 2–9 cm (0.8–3.5 in) long by 0.7–2.5 cm (0.3–1.0 in) thick, and tapers slightly both near the top and the base. It has a smooth surface and ranges in colour from pale cream to pinkish-buff. The spore print is cream, while the spores are ellipsoid, measuring 6.3–9.6 by 5.2–7.3 µm. They have an incompletely reticulated surface with ridges up to 0.5 µm high. The basidia (spore-bearing cells) are somewhat club-shaped, four-spored, and measure 40–50 by 10–13 µm.