Suppilovahvero (funnel chanterelle)

Key identifying features

• Cap: funnel- or trumpet-shaped, brown to yellow-brown on top. Often hollow in the centre.
• Stem: usually yellow or yellow-orange; this is why English speakers say “yellowfoot”. Orange stemmed are actually kosteikkovahvero (meaning wetland chanterelle), but they taste just as good.
• Underside: pale grey-yellow ridges (blunt folds), not sharp gills.
• Size: slightly smaller than kanttarelli, young ones only a few centimetres tall, older ones up to 10 cm.
• Name tip: suppilo means funnel. Look for that shape.

Where and when to look

This is a mushroom of late autumn. Many Finns pick it when other species are already finished.

• Season in Finland: September to November (even after light frost).
• Habitat: mossy spruce forest, often on slightly damp ground with rotting wood nearby.
• How they grow: in troops. Once you spot one, you may fill a basket from a few square metres.

Walk quietly under spruce. Look for many small brown funnels rising from the moss together.

How to clean

1. Cut away the dirty stem base in the forest.
2. Shake out needles and moss from the hollow funnel.
3. Brush lightly. Split a few open if you suspect grit inside.
4. Do not soak. A quick rinse is enough if they are sandy; then dry well.

Because they are small, cleaning takes a little patience, but a big harvest is worth it.

Bugs and larvae

• Usually less wormy than boletes.
• Discard soft, waterlogged, or foul-smelling specimens.
• After frost, check that the flesh is still firm and not slimy.

Best way to conserve

Excellent for sautéing and freezing, and popular in piirakka (pie). Drying also works well and concentrates the flavour.

See Recipes & conserving for pie ideas and storage methods.