Chanterelle warning: Forest foragers urged to know the risks

The orange false chanterelle is so similar in appearance to the popular edible chanterelle that it is referred to as the "false chanterelle" in mushroom foraging jargon. Learning to distinguish between these two species is knowledge worth acquiring before heading into the forest for a mushroom hunt.

Although autumn is always considered the best season for mushroom gathering, there is nothing to stop you from venturing into the forest as early as summer (and later in winter) to search among the dense trees for edible delicacies. Since the beginning of June, the forest areas of Britain have been teeming with chanterelles—one of the most popular and eagerly gathered and consumed mushroom species. Although it may seem that the edible chanterelle is a unique mushroom, in the forest nooks and crannies, you may also encounter its twin brother—the orange false chanterelle. Mistaking these two species can cost you dearly.

Before we tell you how to distinguish the orange false chanterelle from the edible chanterelle, it is important to emphasise why this skill is essential. The orange false chanterelle, unlike the chanterelle, is not an edible mushroom. Why? Because it contains arabitol, a chemical compound that can cause severe digestive disturbances. An excess of this mushroom can bring unpleasant consequences, from nausea to poisoning and vomiting.

Prevention of mushroom poisoning is paramount, and for many years, the State Forests have repeatedly stressed that if there are any doubts about the edibility of a found mushroom, leave it in the forest. Nonetheless, this entity took its educational mission further and explained how to distinguish a chanterelle from an orange false chanterelle.

Both mushrooms have gills, but in the case of the orange false chanterelle, they are arranged much more densely than in the edible chanterelle. Chanterelles also have thicker stems and are distinctly yellow. On the other hand, the colour of the orange false chanterelle is slightly more orange, and its stems are thinner and paler than its cap. The State Forests have summarised this information in a simple graphic worth remembering.