Why chanterelles are good for you, and why they're never wormy

People love the chanterelle above all for its taste and aroma, but this mushroom is also valuable for its health benefits. It contains vitamins, trace elements and special substances that keep the chanterelle almost never wormy. That last trait surprises foragers the most, and it has a perfectly scientific explanation.

Let's look at why the chanterelle is good for you, what's hidden in its firm flesh and why worms give this mushroom a wide berth.

What's in a chanterelle

Like most mushrooms, the chanterelle is largely water, but it also has a valuable set of nutrients.

• Vitamins. The chanterelle is rich in provitamin A, which is what gives it its yellow color, and it also contains B vitamins and vitamin D.
• Trace elements. It contains copper, zinc and potassium, which your body needs to work properly.
• Protein and fiber. The mushroom provides plant protein and dietary fiber, which are good for digestion.
• Low in calories. At the same time, the chanterelle has few calories, so it suits light dishes well.

This combination makes the chanterelle not just tasty but a nice addition to your diet, especially in season when there are plenty of them.

Why the chanterelle isn't wormy

The chanterelle's best-known trait has a specific cause, and it lies in the chemistry of its flesh.

The chanterelle contains natural substances that act as a repellent to insect larvae and tiny parasites. To fungus gnats and worms this flesh is unpalatable and unsuitable, so they lay their eggs elsewhere. That's why the chanterelle stays clean even when the mushrooms next to it are already riddled with holes.

This same property is handy for the forager: you hardly ever have to throw out anything from a basket of chanterelles, and at home the mushrooms don't need lengthy sorting. We write more about worm-free mushrooms in a separate article.

How to keep the chanterelle's benefits

To get the most benefit and flavor from the mushroom, you need to handle it right.

1. Cook them fresh. Freshly picked chanterelles are the most nutritious, so don't put off cooking them.
2. Don't overcook. Long cooking destroys some of the vitamins and makes the mushroom itself rubbery.
3. Store them properly. Fresh chanterelles keep for a few days in the fridge; for longer storage, freeze or dry them.
4. Pair them with fat. Provitamin A is better absorbed with oil or butter, so fried chanterelles are not just tasty but good for you too.

We explain in detail exactly how to cook and preserve chanterelles in a separate article.

Are all chanterelles the same?

The classic yellow chanterelle isn't the only one with health benefits.

The ashen chanterelle, though darker, is also edible and fragrant, with similar firm flesh. The false chanterelle, however, doesn't make it to the table, so there's no point talking about its benefits.

The main thing to remember is that even the healthiest mushroom only does you good when it's fresh, properly cooked and picked in a clean place. Then the chanterelle becomes both a tasty and a healthy highlight of the season.

Sources

• “Key to the Fungi of Ukraine” (Kyiv, Naukova Dumka publishing house).
• Cantharellus cibarius in GBIF, the global biodiversity database.
• Cantharellus cibarius in MycoBank, the international fungal nomenclature database.
• Cantharellus cibarius on Wikipedia.