A luxurious mushroom dish long favored by gourmets and the elite may be hiding a disturbing secret.
In Montchavin, a ski village nestled in the French Alps, residents spent decades eating wild mushrooms that they believed boosted health and longevity. But after a string of cases of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, scientists now believe that tradition may have come at a devastating cost.
At the center of the mystery is the false morel, a brain-like mushroom with a reddish hue that looks nearly identical to the gourmet true morel, a delicacy often served in creamy sauces and risottos.
