If there is one product associated with autumn, it is the mushroom! A ray of sunshine appears after the storm? In all the forests of France, people put on their boots to go picking. Ceps and chanterelles are the delight of sharp-eyed foragers. But mushrooms are also cultivated in the area. Some people trace this tradition back to Louis XIV. It developed in the 19th century with the rise of mushroom farms, first in the catacombs of Paris, then in the troglodyte cellars of the Loire Valley. Button mushrooms (white or pink), oyster mushrooms and shiitake mushrooms are now grown all year round in the Ile-de-France, Pays de la Loire and Centre-Val de Loire regions (in Saumur and Tours in particular). But did you know that many button mushrooms are also grown in the Hauts-de-France!

My late summer and early fall days in Mammoth Lakes were filled with cep hunting.  I am now seeking a new location for my passion hobby!