Entertaining Discoveries

On September 11, 2025, join our introductory talk on wild mushrooms of Northeastern America. Perfect for learning how to identify species and exploring their fascinating diversity.

Talk

Excursions

Surprised by the popularity of our mushroom foraging trips? So are we! To join, just pick a date and reserve your spot. It’s the perfect opportunity to learn how to recognize edible species in the wild.

Eastern Townships: July 13 and Sept. 28
Lanaudière: August 16 and Sept. 14
Laurentians: August 30
Mauricie: September 6

Excursions

Chanterelles

Chanterelle species are found in both hemispheres. Their many regional names reflect their widespread popularity: chanty, girolle, chick. These choice edibles, with aromas of apricot, inspire a wide range of recipes. Chanterelles can be stored in the fridge or even frozen. However, when rehydrated after drying, they tend to become tough.

The local common chanterelle (C. enelensis), associated with conifers, is the most abundant of the genus in northeastern America. It has a scarcer lookalike: the Appalachian chanterelle (C. appalachiensis), which is typically found under oaks and beeches. There are also other species under these same trees, such as the strikingly colorful cinnabar chanterelle (C. cinnabarinus), encountered from time to time.

Craterelles

Also recognizable by their ridges, small and delicate, the craterelles make up a distinct genus often confused with chanterelles. Some are associated with oaks and beeches: the flame-colored craterelle and the horn of plenty, also known as black trumpets, emerge in mid-July.

Our horn of plenty (C. fallax) is the North American counterpart of the European species, so called for its shape and greyish color. Both emit a delicate lemon scent, due to their limonene content. They store well when dried, without losing flavor.

In this dried form, Mycoboutique carries the European species all year round.

A little later in the summer, you’ll find the yellowfoot and the funnel craterelle at the base of conifers. The funnel craterelle gives off floral notes of lilac and hyacinth. In the U.S., it’s nicknamed the “winter chanterelle” because of its late appearance.

Chanterelles and craterelles await you on forays or in the shop.

Beware of Clitocybes

Because of its color, the jack-o’-lantern mushroom is sometimes mistaken for a chanterelle. On closer inspection, the differences are clear: this mushroom, which decomposes rotting oak on the ground, has gills rather than ridges under its cap. Unlike chanterelles, it grows in clusters and can actually glow at night. It is toxic.

Stamets's new Book

You’ll find the best books on psilocybin with us. In this field, Paul Stamets has been a pioneer, notably with his Psilocybin Mushrooms of the World, published in 1996. Since then, beyond recreational use, magic mushrooms have been studied for treating depression, addiction, and anxiety.

Today, Stamets offers us Psilocybin Mushrooms in Their Natural Habitats, serving as an identification guide, cultivation manual, and a comprehensive overview of both ancient and modern uses. A must-have on the subject, and beautifully illustrated!

Amanitas in Good Company

In July 2023 in Australia, Erin Patterson hosted her in-laws for dinner to resolve a disagreement. Five days later, the mother-in-law and her sister died in the hospital. The father-in-law died the next day, while a liver transplant saved the brother-in-law’s life.

A few days earlier, Mrs. Patterson had picked death cap mushrooms that were used to prepare the beef Wellington on the fateful menu. Her murder trial is currently underway.