Short answers, pulled from the story.
Chanterelles have a mildly peppery taste and many species emit a fruity aroma reminiscent of apricots. The golden chanterelle is considered by many chefs to rank alongside truffles and morels as a gourmet ingredient, with a rich and complex flavor best released through cooking rather than eating raw.
True chanterelles have rounded, forked folds on their underside rather than blade-like gills, and their color is a uniform egg-yellow rather than the more orange, darker-centered hue of the false chanterelle (Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca). The false chanterelle is now considered edible but not especially tasty, and may cause mild gastrointestinal distress.
Though records of chanterelles being eaten date back to the 16th century, they gained widespread recognition as a culinary delicacy in the 18th century through the influence of French cuisine, when they began appearing in palace kitchens. For many years they remained associated with noble tables before becoming common across Europe and North America.
Chanterelles span multiple genera including Cantharellus, Craterellus, Gomphus, and Polyozellus, with an incomplete listing covering more than a dozen named species. DNA analysis has continued to expand the count; C. enelensis was identified as recently as 2017, and the Pacific golden chanterelle (C. formosus) was only separated from the catch-all C. cibarius in 1997.
Chanterelles are found in Eurasia, North America including Central America, and Africa. In the American Pacific Northwest they grow from July to November in mossy coniferous forests, mountainous birch forests, and among grasses. In the UK, they may be found from July through December.
Raw chanterelles are 90% water and supply 38 kilocalories per 100 gram serving. They provide rich levels of the B vitamins niacin and pantothenic acid, 27% of the daily value for iron, and when exposed to sunlight produce vitamin D2 at 35% of the daily value.