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| At the market in La Roche Posay. |
The name Trompettes des maures for this highly prized mushroom seem to be one chosen for commercial reasons. You often see it labelled thus when it is sold pickled or dried in jars. I suspect the thinking is that 'mort' (death), pronounced the same as 'maures' (Moors), does not sell.
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| Growing in the Forest of Preuilly. |
The name used by anyone foraging for them is Trompettes de la mort, and this name owes its origin to the mushrooms period of growth, around All Saints' Day.
They are black, the color of mourning, which helps their association with the dead. But in fact it seems likely that there was a semantic shift, and originally the name was "trumpet of love"! A nickname that comes from their cornucopia shape, a symbol of generosity. When they appear they are often abundant, another link with the cornucopia idea.
As well as trompettes des maures, they were sometimes also referred to as truffe du pauvre (poor man's truffles).
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| At Loches market. |
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