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Morel Mushrooms grow in Asia, Europe, North America, and even Turkey. They appear in the wild in spring, not always growing back in the same place.
The cap is tall rather than round (1 to 4 inches tall / 2.5 to 10 cm), and honeycombed. They look like an upside-down cone. Both the cap and the stem are hollow (which makes them crumble more easily than other mushrooms). The colour will vary from buff to dark brown.
Morels are not closely related to other edible mushrooms. They don't have gills or pores. Instead, they produce their spores inside their hollow space which they then distribute in puffs. The hollow space inside often harbours insect larvae as well.
Lighter-coloured morels are called "Yellow Morels", "White Morels" or "Common Morel" (Morchella esculenta). Some people distinguish White Morels from the other two in the above grouping and class them as "Morchella deliciosa".
The darker ones are called "Black Morels" (Morchella angusticeps or Morchella conica). Black Morels start off light-coloured but turn dark as they mature.
It can be hard sometimes to know which is a lighter-coloured Morel and which is a black one, as each of them grows in a range of shades that approach each other.
Morels have an earthy, smoky flavour. The darker ones have a more intense flavour still.
They can be bought fresh, dried or canned. When buying fresh, avoid those with mushy caps or that feel grainy - these are too old. Dried ones lack the texture, but still have the flavour. Whatever form you buy them in, expect them to be very, very expensive in stores.
Successful domestication has yet to be achieved (as of 2004), though many attempts have seemed to come close.
Cooking Tips
Swish around in cold water to loosen dirt out of the honeycombed cap. Some people avoid soaking them any further; other will even soak them overnight to persuade any insects sheltering inside to leave.
Don't eat raw. Must be cooked.
Nutrition
Don't eat any Morels raw. They need cooking -- raw ones can cause reactions in some people ranging from dizziness to some lose of muscle control.
Some people have allergic reactions to even cooked Black Morels, ranging from upset stomachs, to vomiting, to loss of muscle control.
Equivalents
3 oz (85g) dried = 1 pound (450g) fresh
Storage
To freeze, sauté first in butter, then freeze.
History
Morels are believed to have evolved quite recently, as far as the history of evolution goes, probably as recently as the last Ice Age. They evolved from yeast.
They were collected and eaten by the Romans.
More recently, we tend to think of Morels as part of French cooking. They have, however, actually also been a part of Appalachian mountain culture in America for several hundred years. In America, there is even "The National Morel Mushroom Hunters Association".
Language Notes
Called "molly moochers" in West Virginia and other parts of the Appalachians.
Also called:  Molly Moochers Morchella deliciosa, Morchella esculenta (Scientific Name) Morille (French) Morchel, Speisemorchel (German) Spugnola bruna (Italian) Colmenilla, Morchela (Spanish) Morchellae (Roman)
See Also
False Morels
Other entries for Wild Mushrooms
Beefsteak Mushrooms, Blewit Mushrooms, Branched Oyster Fungus, Chanterelle Mushrooms, Chicken-of-the-Woods Mushrooms, False Morels, Field Mushrooms, Granulated Bolete Mushrooms, Hedgehog Mushrooms, Honey Mushrooms, King Trumpet Mushrooms, Lion's Mane Mushrooms, Lobster Mushrooms, Matsutake Mushrooms, Morel Mushrooms, Mousseron Mushrooms, Nametake Mushrooms, Oronge Mushrooms, Porcini Mushrooms, Puff Ball Mushrooms, Slippery Jack Mushrooms, St George's Mushrooms, Stone Mushrooms, Wine Cap Mushrooms
Other entries for Mushrooms
Agaricus Mushrooms, Bay Boletus Mushrooms, Brick Top Mushrooms, Cauliflower Mushrooms, Cloud Ear Mushrooms, Enoki Mushrooms, Hen-of-The-Woods Mushrooms, Mushroom Gills, Nameko Mushrooms, Oyster Mushrooms, Shiitake Mushrooms, Shimeji Mushrooms, Snow Mushrooms, Stipe, Straw Mushrooms, Truffles, Wood Ear Mushrooms
Other entries for Vegetables
Agave, Artichokes, Asparagus, Brassica Family, Canned Vegetables, Cardoons, Celery, Corn, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Frozen Vegetables, Garlic, Gourds, Herbed Vinegars, Horseradish Tree, Hoshi Shiitake, Leafy Vegetables, Lotus, Mixed Vegetables, Pak Wan, Peas, Peppers, Root Vegetables, Sago Palm, Seaweed, Spinach, Sprouts, Squash, Tomatoes, Viscous Vegetables
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