Chanterelle lookalikes: the true and the false chanterelle

The chanterelle is rightly considered one of the safest mushrooms for beginners: it's bright, fragrant and has almost no dangerous lookalikes. Almost, because one similar mushroom does exist, and that's the false chanterelle. Luckily, telling them apart is easy, and the false chanterelle itself isn't deadly.

Let's look at how the true chanterelle differs from the false one, which other mushrooms resemble it, and why the chanterelle remains a great choice for beginners.

What makes the true chanterelle stand out

The true chanterelle has several traits that make it easy to recognize.

• Color. An even egg-yolk yellow or light orange, the same on the cap and the stem.
• Ridges instead of gills. Under the cap there are no true gills but thick, forked ridges that run down the stem.
• Shape. The cap is funnel-shaped, with a wavy, uneven edge, like a little funnel.
• Flesh and smell. Firm, springy, with a pleasant fruity aroma. Chanterelles are almost never wormy.

It's the combination of an even yellow color, ridges and springy flesh that sets the true chanterelle apart from all its lookalikes.

How the false chanterelle differs

The false chanterelle really does look like the true one, but it has its own telltale signs.

• Brighter, uneven color. More often a deep orange, reddish, with a darker center and a paler edge.
• True thin gills. Underneath, instead of thick ridges, there are crowded thin gills, like on ordinary mushrooms.
• Thinner flesh. Softer and not as springy as in the true chanterelle.
• Grows differently. Often on rotting wood, decaying stumps and litter, not simply in the soil.

The false chanterelle isn't deadly, but it can cause digestive upset in sensitive people, so it doesn't go in the basket. We've gathered all the differences in our true vs. false chanterelle comparison.

Other similar mushrooms

Besides the false chanterelle, there are a few related chanterelles, and all of them are safe.

• **Ashen chanterelle.** Dark gray, even blackish, but also edible and fragrant. Its color keeps it from being confused with the true one.

Most importantly, the chanterelle has no deadly poisonous lookalikes, unlike many gilled mushrooms. That's what makes it such a good mushroom for beginners.

How not to go wrong with chanterelles

A few simple checks will clear up any doubt.

1. Look under the cap. Thick, forked ridges mean a true chanterelle, crowded thin gills mean the lookalike.
2. Judge the color. Even egg-yolk yellow is the true one, bright orange with a dark center is the false one.
3. Check the flesh. Springy flesh that doesn't crumble is a sign of the true chanterelle.
4. See where it grows. On rotting wood it's more likely the lookalike than a good chanterelle.

Chanterelles love damp forests and are among the first to appear, as early as the start of summer. We write about when to go looking for them in our piece on the first chanterelles of June, and for the right moment, check the mushroom radar.

Sources

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