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ome of the finest delicacies in life are right under our noses, but these treats are under our feet. For those in the know, the Central Oregon Cascades offer some of the finest edible, wild mushrooms in the country. There are three readily identifiable and delicious wild mushrooms to be found: chanterelles, morels and king boletes. White and yellow chanterelles have often been described as having a fruity and nutty flavor and are relatively easy to identify. With their colorful trumpet-shaped bodies, this mushroom is conspicuous and prolific in the Northwest. Morels, on the other hand, are less prolific and resemble a cross between a pinecone and a honeycomb. This nearly unmistakable mushroom has a sweet, earthy flavor. Lastly, king boletes are a hearty and meaty mushroom that taste rich and nutty. The kings often have a broad, bun-shaped cap with coloring that ranges from biscuit-brown to dark red. 
Look for chanterelles on the eastern side of the
Cascades. Throughout the world, thousands of mushroom species are regularly harvested. Most people in the U.S., however, tend to only eat a few species that are readily available in grocery stores and restaurants, such as shitakes and criminis. Eluding commercial cultivation, some of the tastiest mushrooms, such as the locally found matsutake, seem to be the most expensive, too. A handful of Oregon-picked matsutakes have brought a $1,000 in Japan. There are old mushroom hunters and there are bold mushroom hunters, but there are no old and bold mushroom hunters. If you’re hunting wild mushrooms for the first time, it’s crucial to remember that knowledge and experience are a mushroom hunter’s best friends; the differences between edible and poisonous species can come down to minute identification traits. Once you educate yourself about the varieties and places to find edible mushrooms in Central Oregon, you’ll be able to add fresh mushrooms to the menu with abandon. Within a two-hour drive of Bend, there are countless areas to find prized edible mushrooms. The eastern boundaries of the Cascade crest offer the closest source and best varieties. Santiam Pass, Highway 26 on Mt. Hood, and west of the Chemult and Crescent ranger districts are also good places to start your search. If you decide to go wild mushroom picking, here are a few resources to get you started. During the fall, Central Oregon Community College offers a course on edible mushrooms taught by fungi expert Linda Gilpin, who learned the hard way. “The first time I picked wild mushrooms, I gathered a whole basket of what I thought were chanterelles,” Gilpin said. “After checking with a friend from the Oregon Mycological Society, I found out that they were false chanterelles and wouldn’t have been good to eat.” This incident didn’t deter her, however. For more than 20 years, she has practiced and taught the art and science of finding those that are edible. “The world of mushrooms is full of surprises,” Gilpin said. “One day I’m telling people that they’ll never find a morel under a juniper tree, and the next week I find one under a juniper tree.” Getting Started
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