The Black Trumpet Blog

Join us and wild foods expert Hank Shaw as we explore the rich, hearty world of mushrooms for holiday cooking. From foraging tips to creative recipes like mushroom stuffing, tarts, and even candy cap desserts, this conversation dives into how mushrooms can elevate your seasonal celebrations.

We can't resist the eerie allure of weird and creepy mushrooms—from the mind-controlling "Zombie Fungus" Cordyceps to the ghostly Bleeding Tooth and the Veiled Lady. These strange, otherworldly fungi don’t just captivate; they offer powerful health benefits, from boosting energy and immunity to sharpening the mind. Let's talk about nature's creepiest and most potent healers.

Chicken of the woods mushrooms are one of the most well-known and highly-prized edible mushrooms that can be foraged in oak forests from spring through autumn. It's a great one for beginners as it's easy to spot and absolutely delicious.

Black trumpet mushrooms are gourmet edibles known for their fruity and smoky flavor, often likened to truffles. They grow in hardwood forests and are found in various regions across North America and Europe, often appearing near other edible mushrooms. These mushrooms enhance broths, sauces, and dishes and can be dried for use as a spice, though they cannot currently be cultivated.

Learn how to identify, find, grow, and benefit from the medicinal qualities of turkey tail mushrooms. This is a well-known fungus that has been used as a medicine for thousands of years in Asian countries and in indigenous populations.

Let's dive in to the world of fish and fungi with our friend and wild foods expert Hank Shaw. In this interview, he shares with us some recipes for pairing your foraged mushrooms and wild-caught seafood that are exceptionally proficient and flavorful.

Learn about the health benefits, historical use, identification, harvesting, processing, and recipes for Chaga mushrooms, as well as how to make Chaga mushroom tea!

North Spore has partnered with wild foods expert Hank Shaw to bring you home cultivation techniques and the best recipes for your homegrown or foraged mushrooms. Check out our full interview with him here!

To shed light on the importance of fungal conservation, North Spore had the privilege of sitting down with Gabriela D'Elia, the director of The Fungal Diversity Survey (FunDiS) while attending the Telluride Mushroom Festival back in August.

Found from North America to Europe and Asia, Hen of the Woods, or Maitake, is a versatile gourmet edible mushroom with a rich history and countless benefits to human health.

In this article we offer advice for aspiring mushroom hunters, including resources for identification along with a fascinating interview with Maine's poisonous mushroom expert Greg Marley.

North Spore was honored to take part in the 43rd annual Telluride Mushroom Festival where we caught up with mushroom documentarian Alan Rockefeller for a wide-ranging chat on fungal photography, DNA sequencing, and microscopy.

This week's blog highlights the popular and tasty chanterelle mushroom, including how to identify, collect, and cook these golden beauties, along with the many ways this single mushroom boosts both human and forest health.