© P.Williamson
Cepes (Mushrooms)
One of the tastiest wild mushrooms in France
The weather conditions in the Dordogne region make is an excellent place for the growing of cêpes, or porcini mushrooms as they are more commonly known.
They are found commonly growing wild and are excellent both fresh and dried. These mushrooms retain nearly all of their taste when dried, and are also incredibly flavoursome when reconstituted. For that reason you will find that cèpes are one of the wild mushrooms that most French chefs use all year round.
The markets throughout Dordogne are a good place to pick up locally grown mushrooms after the harvest in autumn. You will find them used as an important ingredient in a lot of regional cooking.
NB. Whenever you go foraging for wild mushrooms do not cook and eat them until you have identified your collection. All French villages and towns have mushrooms experts, volunteers that are trained by the government. Pharmicists will have a list of the nearest mycologist, although pharmacists themselves are trained themselves to be able to identify mushrooms.
