Morchella, the true morels, is a genus of edible mushrooms closely related to anatomically simpler cup fungi. These distinctive mushrooms appear honeycomb-like in that the upper portion is composed of a network of ridges with pits between them.

These ascocarps are prized by gourmet cooks, particularly for French cuisine. Commercial value aside, morels are hunted by thousands of people every year simply for their taste and the joy of the hunt.

Morels have been called by many local names, some of the more colorful include dryland fish, due to the fact that when sliced lengthwise then breaded and fried, their outline resembles the shape of a fish; hickory chickens, as they are known in many parts of Kentucky; and merkels or miracles, based on a story of how a mountain family was saved from starvation by eating morels. Other common names for morels include sponge mushroom. Genus Morchella is derived from “morchel,” an old German word for mushroom.

Taxonomy

A cluster of white morels, West Virginia, USA

The fruit bodies of the Morchella are highly polymorphic in appearance, exhibiting variations in shape, color and size; this has contributed to uncertainties regarding taxonomy. Discriminating between the various species is complicated by uncertainty regarding which species are truly biologically distinct. Mushroom hunters refer to them by their color (e.g., gray, yellow, black) as the species are very similar in appearance and vary considerably within species and age of individual. The best known morels are the “yellow morel” or “common morel” (Morchella esculenta); the “white morel” (M. deliciosa); and the “black morel” (M. elata). Other species of true morels include M. semilibera and M. vulgaris.

Phylogeny

Some authors suggest that the genus only contains as few as 3 to 6 species, while others place up to 50 species in the genus. Phylogenetic analysis based on both RFLP and restriction enzyme analysis of the 28S ribosomal RNA gene support the former hypothesis, i.e., that the genus comprises only a few species with considerable phenotypic variation. Other DNA work has suggested more than a dozen distinct groups of morels in North America.

Mycorrhizal associations

Although no symbiotic mycorrhizal relationships have been proven between morels and certain tree species, experienced morel hunters swear by these relationships. Trees commonly associated with morels include ash, sycamore, tulip tree, dead and dying elms, cottonwoods and old apple trees (remnants of orchards). Yellow morels (Morchella esculenta) are more commonly found under deciduous trees rather than conifers, and black morels (Morchella elata) can be found in deciduous forests, oak and poplar. Morels in western North America are often found in coniferous forests, including trees in the Pinus, Abies, Larix, and Pseudotsuga genuses, as well as in cottonwood riparian forests.

Association with forest fire

Morels grow abundantly in the two and sometimes three years immediately following a forest fire. However, where fire suppression is practiced, they may grow regularly in small amounts in the same spot year after year. Commercial pickers and buyers in North America will follow forest fires to gather morels. The Finnish name, huhtasieni, refers to huhta, area cleared for agriculture by slash and burn method. These spots may be jealously guarded by mushroom pickers, as the mushrooms are a delicacy and sometimes a cash crop.

Morels have not yet been successfully farmed on a large scale, and the commercial morel industry is largely based on harvest of wild mushrooms.

False morels

When gathering morels, care must be taken to distinguish them from the poisonous false morels, including Gyromitra esculenta, Verpa bohemica, and others. Although the false morels are sometimes eaten without ill effect, they can cause severe gastrointestinal upset and loss of muscular coordination (including cardiac muscle) if eaten in large quantities or over several days in a row. They contain a gyromitrin-like toxin (an organic, carcinogenic poison) that is produced by the mushroom.

The false morels can be told apart from the true morels by careful study of the cap, which is often “wrinkled” or “brainy”, rather than honeycomb or net-like. Gyromitra esculenta has a cap that is generally darker and larger than the true morels (Morchella sp.). The caps of early morels (Verpa sp.) are attached only at apex (top) of cap, unlike true morels which have caps that are attached at or near the bottom.

Morels are a feature of many cuisines, including Provençal. Though morels are typically sold dried or canned, they can be purchased fresh. When preparing fresh morels for consumption, soaking them may ruin their delicate flavor. Due to their natural porousness, morels may contain trace amounts of soil which cannot be washed out. One of the best and simplest ways to enjoy morels is by gently sauteeing them in butter, cracking pepper on top and sprinkling with salt. Others soak the mushrooms in an egg batter and lightly bread them with saltine crackers or flour.

Many people dry out the morels for long term storage. When they are ready to eat them, they simply soak the morels until they reabsorb moisture. Eggs from moths or insects can hatch during storage. Other people freeze or can their mushrooms.

Toxicity

Morels contain small amounts of toxins that are usually removed by thorough cooking; morel mushrooms should never be eaten raw. It has been reported that even cooked morels can sometimes cause mild poisoning symptoms when consumed with alcohol.

It is important to try small amounts of any edible mushroom, and only eat ones that are clean and free of decay.

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