Smell

Fruity

Fruity notes are among foragers' favorite aromas. They make identification not only useful but aesthetically pleasing too. A fruity smell differs from the classic "mushroomy" or "sweet" (honey) one by its freshness and a characteristic tartness.

4 species in the database.

The main carriers of a fruity aroma

The chemistry of fruity smells in mushrooms usually involves esters and lactones. Roger Phillips and David Arora give plenty of examples of mushrooms that smell like real fruit:

1. Apricot smell (chanterelles): The best-known example. The chanterelle (Cantharellus cibarius) has an incredibly clean, fresh and lasting aroma of apricot or peach. This smell is the main feature that lets you tell the true chanterelle from its inedible lookalike, the false chanterelle (Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca), which has a neutral smell.

2. Coconut smell (milk caps): The coconut milk cap (Lactarius glyciosmus), a small grayish mushroom that grows under birches, has a striking, strong smell of fresh coconut flakes or coconut soap.

3. Apple smell (brittlegills and knights): Many brittlegills have a light fruity smell reminiscent of baked or green apples. Some knights (Tricholoma) can also have fruity, apple-like notes, sometimes mixed with a mealy smell.

4. Plum or pear smell: Found in some funnels (Clitocybe).

Fruity smells and safety

M.Ya. Zerova warns in her works: although a fruity smell is a "good" marker for many edible mushrooms, it is no guarantee of safety. For example, some toxic pinkgills (Entoloma) can have a mixed smell of rotting fruit or overripe apples with flour. And the deadly poisonous death cap (Amanita phalloides) is often described as having a light fruity-honey aroma when young.

Questions and answers

Why is the chanterelle's smell compared specifically to apricot?

It isn't just a poetic metaphor. Chemical analysis shows that chanterelles produce the same or very similar volatile esters that apricots synthesize as they ripen.

Does the fruity smell disappear after drying?

The apricot smell of chanterelles is very persistent. If you dry them properly (without overheating), the fruity aroma stays and even intensifies. The coconut smell of Lactarius glyciosmus, on the other hand, usually disappears with heat.

Can you eat a poisonous mushroom if it smells of fruit?

Absolutely not. A fruity smell does not destroy toxins (such as amatoxins or muscarine). Rely on a combination of features (the shape of the hymenophore, the presence of a volva, color changes), not just on the fact that a mushroom "smells delicious".

Sources

1.Зерова М.Я. та ін. Визначник грибів України. 1979
2.Roger Phillips. Mushrooms (Roger Phillips)
3.David Arora. Mushrooms Demystified
4.Index Fungorum