🍄Cantharellus cibarius is an edible mushroom from the Cantharellaceae family. Its scientific name originates from the Greek word “kantharos,” meaning “cup.”
🍄Cap: 3–11 cm in diameter, yellow, sometimes orange, convex, flat, or funnel-shaped, wavy, occasionally with twisted thin edges; surface is smooth.
Stipe (stem): 1–6 cm long and 0.5–2 cm thick, the same color as the cap, widened at the top.
Flesh: White to pale yellowish, dense, with a pleasant and strong mushroom aroma; it almost never hosts worms.
Gills: Thick, yellow, descending down the stem in fold-like ridges.
Spores: Yellow to creamy white.
🌲They grow in coniferous or broadleaf forests, under trees, on decaying wood stumps or soil, and in mossy areas. They form mycorrhizal (mutually beneficial) associations with birch and pine.
🌳In Armenia, they are most commonly found in the coniferous and deciduous forests of the Tavush and Lori provinces, growing in large groups from July to October.
📜Records show that chanterelles were eaten as early as the 16th century and were highly popular among nobility, considered a symbol of wealth.
🍽They have a delicate taste and juicy flesh. Used both fresh and pickled.
⚕️Chanterelles have antibacterial and antiviral properties, and are rich in various vitamins and amino acids. They also possess antioxidant properties and contain compounds that help improve liver function, lower cholesterol, treat thrombosis, and fight cancerous cells.