Norway's forests and meadows are home to a variety of delicious and nutritious mushrooms, just waiting to be foraged. Here are five edible mushrooms you can discover in the Norwegian wilderness. Yum! These mushrooms don’t have poisonous look-alikes, so they are great to start with for foraging newbies.
Just so you know, people often keep their mushroom spots secret. Don’t take it personally—it’s totally normal (even within families!). Find your own hidden spots, and you’ll be returning with a full basket year after year.
Have a fungi good time in the forest!
The Golden Chanterelle (Cantharellus cibarius) – the Gold of the Forest
Chanterelles (in Norwegian: kantarell) taste amazing, and where you find one, you’ll usually find more. You can find them almost everywhere in Norway, from south to north. This yellow mushroom is found in both deciduous and coniferous forests, living in a symbiotic relationship with tree roots. Look for chanterelles on moist forest floors, often in shady spots.
You can recognize it by its yellow color and its funnel-shaped, wavy cap. The mushrooms vary in size, with caps ranging from 2 to 12 cm wide. One big advantage—there are no poisonous mushrooms in Norway that resemble the chanterelle.
The main season for chanterelles is from June to October. However, this golden treasure is delicate and can easily suffer if there’s too little rain. So don’t wait too long before you start looking.
Sautéed chanterelles with just salt and pepper… It doesn’t get simpler than that, but it tastes heavenly!
HOW TO PICK’EM
Use a basket or a paper bag when foraging mushrooms. Avoid plastic bags, as they can leave you with crushed and slimy mushrooms by the time you get home.
It’s a good idea to do a basic clean while still in the forest using a mushroom knife with a brush. You can do this as you pick, making everything much easier later on.
Cut the mushrooms open to check if they’re infested with worms. Those who are can return to Mother Nature, so to speak.
2. The Terracotta Hedgehog (Hydnum rufescens) – Look for the Spikes
The terracotta hedgehog (in Norwegian: rødgul piggsopp) is one of the most sought-after autumn mushrooms and is considered one of the tastiest. It’s easily distinguished from other mushrooms, except for its close relative, the wood hedgehog—another delicious edible mushroom. Both of these have spines underneath the cap, unlike any other mushrooms in Norway. This makes for some of the safest edible mushrooms to forage in Norway.
But let’s focus on the terracotta hedgehog. The wavy cap is typically reddish-yellow, as the name suggests, but it can also be reddish-brown or slightly orange. On the underside of the cap, you’ll find pale, fragile spikes. This is the key feature to look for. Plus, this meaty mushroom has a pleasant aroma—some say it has a hint of orange.
The terracotta hedgehog grows between 4–7 cm tall and can be found in both coniferous and deciduous forests from August to October. It’s not as common as the wood hedgehog and tends to appear a bit later in the season. The terracotta hedgehog particularly favors old spruce forests, where they often grow in lines or fairy rings.
FAIRY RINGS
A fairy ring is a perfect circle of mushrooms. In the past, people believed this was proof of supernatural forces at play, like dancing elves or fairies.
Fairy rings are formed when fungi spread underground from a central point. On the surface, this creates a ring expanding outward from that central spot.
The rings can range from just a few inches to several meters in diameter.
3. Black Trumpet/Horn of Plenty (Craterellus cornucopioides) – Great for Drying
The black gold! In Southern Europe, this delicacy is often used as a substitute for truffles, which says something about its rich flavor. Black trumpet mushroom (in Norwegian: svart trompetsopp) is a safe and popular mushroom, particularly well-suited for drying. After drying, they can be crushed and used as a seasoning, for example. Great in meaty dishes!
The gray-black color makes the black trumpet easy to identify and distinguish from other mushrooms. It doesn’t have a typical mushroom cap but rather a trumpet-like shape. The upper surface feels velvety to the touch.
To find this treasure, your hunt should focus on deciduous forests, deep moss, along forest streams, and coniferous forests. The good news is that if you find one, you’ll likely find many. They start popping up early in the fall, so that’s the time to start searching.
4. Sheep Polypore/Forest Lamb (Albatrellus ovinus) – Meaty Treasure
The name is descriptive; the sheep polypore (in Norwegian: fåresopp) look like a small group of tiny sheep on the forest floor. However, as mushrooms go, it's relatively large, at least by Norwegian standards. The cap can reach up to 25 centimeters in width and is typically white or tinged with pale beige, gray, or brown. The sheep polypore has white flesh - and can be used as a substitute for meat or steak, by the way. On the underside of the cap, you’ll find thin pores.
You’re likely to find it on old, moss-covered spruce forest floors. Look for spruce trees, in other words. It also prefers slopes. It’s easiest to find in Eastern Norway and Central Norway from August to September.
The sheep polypore has a mild aroma and is not easily confused with other poisonous mushrooms. There is a less tasty twin, though: the French bread mushroom (Albatrellus confluens) does look similar to our meaty forest lamb. But remember this little trick: Press under the cap to see if the spore layer turns yellow. If yes, it’s the tasty kind. Also, you can use a match or lighter to test if you have found the sheep polypore mushroom. When exposed to heat, the sheep polypore turns yellow, while the French bread mushroom does not.
The flesh actually turns bright lemon-yellow when the mushroom is cooked. The flavor is mild and slightly reminiscent of almonds.
5. Yellowfoot/Winter Chanterelle (Cantharellus tubaeformis) – Pick Until Winter
This little cutie is one of the most common and popular edible mushrooms in Norway. The yellowfoot (in Norwegian: traktkantarell) is smaller compared to the bright golden chanterelle and is better camouflaged in nature. It’s not a mushroom that screams “look at me,” but if you’re patient and spot one, you’ll usually find many more. Look for yellowfoot in damp, dark forests, deep in moss. It has a dark brown cap with light, grayish-yellow ridges and a hollow, yellow stem.
In terms of similar-looking mushrooms, it’s easy to confuse it with the golden trumpet mushroom. That’s okay, though, because it’s also a great edible mushroom. What you do need to be careful of is not accidentally picking the extremely poisonous deadly webcap (Cortinarius rubellus). They don’t look very similar, but they’re of similar size and color. The problem is that the toxic mushroom can grow in clusters of yellowfoot. So, always pick yellowfoot mushrooms one at a time, not in bunches. If in doubt, check the underside of the cap. If there are no ridges underneath, it’s not yellowfoot.
Yellowfoot is sort of the gift that just keeps on giving.
You can harvest this delicacy from late autumn until the first snow. Even frozen yellowfoot mushrooms can be picked and brought home. Yellowfoot is excellent in soups, sauces, and stews, and it’s perfect for drying.
In the end, let's have a quick safety check. Just in case.
Tips to Avoid Picking Poisonous Mushrooms
Never eat mushrooms unless you’re absolutely sure of their identity. Always cook mushrooms thoroughly—some edible varieties need to be cooked for up to 20 minutes before they’re safe to eat.
Learn to recognize the features of the most toxic mushrooms—like the the destroying angel (Amanita virosa), the death cap (Amanita phalloides) and the two species of deadly webcaps (Cortinarius rubellus).
Ensure the mushrooms you pick are fresh and in good condition. Eating partially decayed mushrooms can make you sick, so leave any questionable ones behind in the forest.
If an Accident Happens
Call the Norwegian Poison Information Center if you suspect you or someone else has ingested poisonous mushrooms. The service is available 24/7, with access to experts who can quickly identify the mushroom and provide assistance if needed. The number is 22 59 13 00.
That being said: HAPPY MUSHROOM FORAGING!
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