Mushrooms

There exists over five hundred species of edible mushrooms in the forests of Finland. The Finnish mushroom culture originates from the Eastern parts of our country, as fungi plays a major role in the cuisine of our Eastern neighbor, Russia.

Like berries, mushrooms are tasty sources of vitamins and other nutrients. Fried porcinis, mashed false morels, marinated butter mushrooms, morel soup, fresh and fried yellow chanterelles, preserved and salted northern milkcaps and wooly milkcaps, and fried trumpet chanterelles are all real delicacies. Wild mushrooms taste wonderful with both fish and meat.

In addition to wild mushrooms, there are several species cultivated in the Finnish soil: shiitake, white button, and oyster mushrooms, as well as truffles to name a few.

Did you know that based on the so called “everyman’s right,” everybody can pick berries and mushrooms in the Finnish forests, as long as you don’t go into private yards?

Yellow chanterelle

Yellow chanterelle is easy to recognize from its bright yellow color. This delicious mushroom can be found in forests of birch and pine, especially in Southern and Central Finland. Yellow chanterelles make delicious soups and sauces, but many people say that they taste best when fried fresh with butter.

Trumpet chanterelle

Many Finns love trumpet chanterelles. They have a dark brown cap and light yellow stem. They are an excellent mushroom, and require no preprocessing. The taste is rather mild, and somewhat sweet. Trumpet chanterelles can be fried, or dried and used in soups, stews or sauces. They can be found in softwood forests, especially in Southern and Central Finland.

Black chanterelle

As its name suggests, a black chanterelle is darkly colored. It does not require preprocessing as well. You can find them in Southern and Central Finland from August to October. Black chanterelles are best when dried and used as a spice in various dishes.

False morel

False morels are real delicacies but you need to be careful with them - if they are not processed correctly, they are extremely poisonous. However, when cooked carefully according to official instructions, they make delicious dishes. False morels can be found in the springtime; they grow in logging areas, burned areas and by forest roads.

Porcini

Porcinis are highly appreciated mushrooms that can be found in all types of forests in Finland. Porcinis are best when fried whole.  They are very delicious, and easily recognizable from their plump looks. The cap is reddish-brown and rather sticky, and the stem is thick.  

For more information about Finnish mushrooms, please visit:

Eat and Joy: There are 500 species of edible fungi in Finland

Eat and Joy: Roaming the Woods for Mushrooms

Food from Finland: Mushrooms