Charbonnier

Other Names

Sooty head

Latin Name

Tricholoma portentosum

Usually Found In

Europe (mainly Estonia and the Netherlands), the USA

Season

October to December

There’s not an awful lot known about the mysterious charbonnier and we have rarely managed to get our hands on it. Visually, it’s perhaps not as pretty as Snow White but its short, thick stem is as white as snow providing a stark contrast to its black to dark brown sooty, leathery and almost fibrous cap. Its pronounced, lengthy gills are milky-coloured or off-white and this type of mushroom is usually found caked in mud, growing at the base of oak and beech trees. Picked at the right time, after a few days of growth, the charbonnier has a perfectly rounded cap, that just about tucks under at the edges. Larger mushrooms can look a little rough and ready around the cap edge and gills as they are more affected by the elements.