Morels
(Morchella
species)
photo by Joe Brandt
cut longitudinally - (hollow)
(Gyromitra esculenta)
painting by Michael Kuo
A roofer friend was at work in an affluent neighborhood in Queens, NYC, when he saw a troop of morels on his client's manicured lawn. He was so shocked, he almost fell off the roof. But he did bring the mushrooms home and enjoyed them thoroughly. People also find morels in woods, and along the edges of trails.
Old apple orchards, areas near dead elm trees, and regions with limestone in the soil are especially good places to look. Morels sometimes come up in the same place year after year.
Living in NYC, I find large quantities of a variety of mushrooms in our many parks, but morels are rare here, or I don't have the eye for them. We find them only rarely on my tours, and people who know where they grow don't give away the locations.
Aware of this situation, my friend Joe, who lives in Connecticut and has way more success with morels, sent me this quite immorel photo:
And they come up after forest fires. In the 19th century, the Russian government had to pass a law making it illegal to burn down the forests in order to harvest morels the following year.
German folklore attributes the origin of morels to the Devil. Offended by a very wrinkled old woman, he transformed her into this mushroom. Ever since, calling a woman a morel in Germany has been a major insult.
It can be difficult to distinguish one morel species from another, but their rich, earthy flavor makes them all especially good. You can sauté them, include them soups, casseroles, or stews.
Don't eat morels raw or undercooked (cook at least 15 minutes) or you may get quite ill.
| Black Morel |
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| Half-free Morel |
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| White Morel |
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| Yellow Morel |
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