The Chanterelle is the champagne of mushrooms.
They will not submit to man's agriculture, but must be foraged. They are mycorrhizal and so they form complex interrelationships with root systems of trees. Therefore, beyond man's ability to manipulate or really understand. We can merely admire them when they choose to show us their brilliant golden faces in the humid years, when the conditions are right for them to thrive. They rank high among other foraged mushrooms that elude man's ability to cultivate, such as morels and black trumpet mushrooms. They fetch prices as high as $14/oz.
People guard the locations of their patches, sometimes taking the secret with them to the grave. I don't know about y'all, but the Woodlands where we dwell are absolutely popping with these golden beauties right now. And therefore, so are the tasty Chanterelle Noms coming out of our kitchen. Chanterelle & Red Pepper Tortellini, featured in photos here, was scrumptious and gorgeous.
Buen Provecho!
With Love,
Lily