Morchella
| Morel | |
|---|---|
| |
| Morchella conica, a black morel, in Poland | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Division: | |
| Subdivision: | |
| Class: | |
| Order: | |
| Family: | |
| Genus: | Morchella Dill. ex Pers. (1794)
|
| Type species | |
| Morchella esculenta (L.) Pers. (1801)
| |
| Species | |
|
Uncertain (see text) | |
Morchella | |
|---|---|
 | Smooth hymenium |
 | Cap is conical or ovate |
 | Hymenium attachment is irregular or not applicable |
| Lacks a stipe |
 | Spore print is cream to yellow |
 | Ecology is mycorrhizal or saprotrophic |
 | Edibility is choice |
Template:Fix bunching 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. The American state of Minnesota has adopted the morel as its state mushroom.[1]
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.[2] In parts of West Virginia, they're known as "molly moochers." Other common names for morels include sponge mushroom. Genus Morchella is derived from morchel, an old German word for mushroom, while morel itself is derived from the Latin maurus meaning brown.
Classification
Taxonomy
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. conica, M. semilibera and M. vulgaris.
Phylogeny
Some authors suggest that the genus only contains as few as 3 to 6 species,[3][4] while others place up to 50 species in the genus.[5][6] Phylogenetic analysis based on both RFLP[7] and restriction enzyme analysis[8] 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.[9]
Habitat and ecology
Habitats favorable to fruition
Morchella species don't have symbiotic mycorrhizal relationships but they are commonly found beneath certain trees. Trees commonly associated with morels in the northern hemisphere 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.[10] Morels in western North America are often found in coniferous forests, including trees in the genera Pinus, Abies, Larix, and Pseudotsuga, as well as in cottonwood riparian forests.[11]
Association with wildfire
Black morels may grow abundantly in habitats which have been scorched by a forest fire.[12] The mechanism for this is unknown. Where fire suppression is practiced morels often grow in small amounts in the same spot year after year. If these areas are overrun by wildfire they often produce a bumper crop of black morels the following spring. Commercial pickers and buyers in North America target recently burned areas for this reason. 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.[11]
Efforts to grow morels are rarely successful and the commercial morel industry is based on harvest of wild mushrooms.[11]
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. The easiest way to tell the false from the true variety, is to simply look inside the stem. The false morels will contain a cotton-ball looking substance inside their stem. The good ones will be hollow inside.
Cooking
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Morels are a feature of many cuisines, including Provençal.[13] Their unique flavor is prized by cooks worldwide, with recipes and preparation methods designed to highlight and preserve it. As with most edible fungi, they are best when collected or bought fresh.
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 before frying them.
Morels are not improved by extensive washing or soaking, as it may ruin the delicate flavor and require long cooking times. Due to their natural porosity, morels may contain trace amounts of soil which cannot be washed out. They can best be 'flash frozen' by simply running under cold water or putting them in a bucket to soak for a few minutes, then place on a cookie sheet or pizza pan and place into a freezer. After freezing they keep very fresh with the frozen glaze for a long time in tupperware containers. However, when thawed they can sometimes turn slightly mushy in the cap.[14] Any visible soil should be removed with a brush, after cutting the body in half lengthwise if needed.
Drying is a popular and effective method of long-term storage for morels, and they are readily available commercially in this form; dried morels can be reconstituted by soaking in warm water or milk. They may also be frozen after steaming or frying. Canning is not recommended because the necessary high pressure and temperature destroys much of the flavor. If sautéed in butter, it can taste like portabella mushrooms. However, do not sautee overly long or overly hot or they will become quite mushy.[15]
Toxicity
Morels contain small amounts of hydrazine[16] toxins that are removed by thorough cooking; morel mushrooms should never be eaten raw.[17] It has been reported that even cooked morels can sometimes cause mild intoxication symptoms when consumed with alcohol.[18]
When eating this mushroom for the first time it is wise to consume a small amount to minimize any allergic reaction. Morels for consumption must be clean and free of decay. When cooked normally, they may taste like snow mushrooms.[clarification needed]
See also
References
- ^ Minnesota Secretary of State
- ^ "The Day the Sun Came Out" by Dorothy M. Johnson
- ^ Overholts, L.O. (1934). The morels of Pennsylvania. Proc. Penn. Acad. Sci. 8:108-114.
- ^ Weber, N.S. (1988). In A Morel Hunter's Companion, pp. 111-67. Two Peninsula Press: Lansing.
- ^ Korf, R.P. (1973). Discomycetes and Tuberales. In The Fungi (G.C. Ainsworth, F.K. Sparrow, and A.S. Sussman, Eds.), Vol. IVA, pp.249-318. Academic Press: New York.
- ^ Kimbrough, J.W. (1970). Current trends in the classification of discomycetes. Bot. Rev. 36:91-161.
- ^ Bunyard, B.A., Nicholson, M.S., Royse, D.J. (1994). A systematic assessment of Morchella using RFLP analysis of the 28S ribosomal gene. Mycologia 86:762-72.
- ^ Bunyard B.A., Nicholson M.S., Royse D.J. (1995). Phylogenetic resolution of Morchella, Verpa, andDisciotis (Pezizales: Morchellaceae) based on restriction enzyme analysis of the 28S ribosomal RNA gene. Experimental Mycology 19(3):223-33.
- ^ Kuo, M. (2006). "Morel Data Collection Project: Preliminary results". Retrieved 2009-05-26.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - ^ Lincoff, Gary H., The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mushrooms (1981) p 326.
- ^ a b c Pilz, D. (2007). Ecology and management of morels harvested from the forests of western North America. General Technical Report PNW-GTR-710. Portland, OR: U.S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help); Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - ^ Wurtz, Tricia L. (2005). Harvesting morels after wildfire in Alaska. Research Note RN-PNW-546. Portland, OR: U.S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ Olney, Richard (1995). A Provencal Table. London: Pavilion. pp. 31–32. ISBN 1-85793-632-9.
- ^ Quamut.com, Morel Mushrooms
- ^ MorelMushroom.info
- ^ Paul Stamets Mycelium Running pg 271. (2005)
- ^ Ian R. Hall, Peter K. Buchanan (2003). Edible and poisonous mushrooms of the world. Timber Press. ISBN 0881925861
- ^ J. Walton Groves. Poisoning by Morels When Taken with Alcohol. Mycologia, Vol. 56, No. 5 (Sep. - October, 1964), pp. 779-780
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