Meriwether Lewis on eating morels

June 19, 1806 – Lewis, Meriwether

“Cruzatte (Cruzatte, Pierre) brought me several large morells which I roasted and eat without salt pepper or grease    in this way I had for the first time the true taist of the morell which is truly an insippid taistless food.    our stock of salt is now exhausted except two quarts which I have reserved for my tour up Maria’s River (Marias River) and that I left the other day on the mountain.— Most likely the black morel, Morchella angusticeps Pk., a spring mushroom highly prized by people who have access to salt and “grease.” 

Pro Membership

Get the data serious foragers use to find more mushrooms

Free members get soil temps, precipitation, and ecoregion data. Pro unlocks the layers that help you narrow down exactly where to look.

  • Historical burn perimeters — find morel habitat fast
  • Timber harvest boundaries across OR & WA
  • Detailed foraging area summaries with conditions
  • Offline maps in the Forayz iOS app

Similar Posts

  • Private Mushroom Class

    Seattle Mushroom Class Join me for private or small group mushroom classes. We talk about how to identify edible mushrooms, tips for finding mushrooms near Seattle, how they work with the rest of the ecosystem, and even the basics of growing mushrooms. Please ask about different times or personalized classes   View On Airbnb Please…

  • Intro to Mushrooms Mar 23

    Here is.a recording of the Intro to Mushrooms talk from Mar 23. Pro Membership Get the data serious foragers use to find more mushrooms Free members get soil temps, precipitation, and ecoregion data. Pro unlocks the layers that help you narrow down exactly where to look. Historical burn perimeters — find morel habitat fast Timber…

  • Beyond Mushroomy

    Fungi produce a wide range of chemicals for activities like digestion and protection from other microorganisms like mold and bacteria. Fungi like truffles even create distinctive scents to attract animals which will dig them up and disperse the spores. According to this article in Nature, humans can detect 1 trillion unique odors. With some practice…

  • |

    Scaly Chanterelle

    Pro Membership Get the data serious foragers use to find more mushrooms Free members get soil temps, precipitation, and ecoregion data. Pro unlocks the layers that help you narrow down exactly where to look. Historical burn perimeters — find morel habitat fast Timber harvest boundaries across OR & WA Detailed foraging area summaries with conditions…