Imagine a peaceful mountain village in Savoie, friends and families gathering around heaping plates of wild mushrooms picked fresh from the countryside. Now imagine the shock when these communal meals are linked to a mysterious neurological disease. If you’ve ever picked a mushroom in the wild or simply enjoy foraged treats, you might want to pull up a chair for this: the beloved morel’s evil twin, the false morel, has been linked to deadly illness. Should you worry? Let’s take a look—no magnifying glass needed.
The Unusual Mystery in Montchavin
It was 2009 when an eagle-eyed general practitioner in the little village of Montchavin, near La Plagne’s ski slopes in Savoie, noticed something alarming. Not just once, but for the third time, she was diagnosing a resident with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Charcot’s disease—a rare and fatal neurodegenerative condition.
Her reaction? Concern and swift action. The doctor rung the alarm, calling in seasoned ALS specialists. Their mission: get to the bottom of this strange cluster. Soon after, they unearthed 11 additional cases in the village, spanning from 1991 to 2013. To make matters even more bewildering, about half of those affected had already passed away, and none of the patients were related. They ranged in age from 39 to 75 but, in true close-knit village fashion, they all knew each other.
An Environmental Detective Hunt
When common genetic backgrounds are ruled out, suspects tend to fall under the category of: « Something in the environment. » Armed with scientific curiosity (and no small amount of patience), researchers began a real-life whodunnit:
- Testing for bacterial toxins and lead in water: nothing.
- Checking for radon gas in homes: still nothing.
- Screening for air, soil, and pesticide or heavy metal pollution: absolutely nothing.
Every possible lead hit a dead end. But as luck—or science—would have it, the puzzle caught the eye of Peter Spencer, a toxicologist at the University of Oregon in the United States. He had already tackled a similar ALS string of cases on Guam, where a local plant seed, the Japanese cycad (sometimes known as « petit rameau » in the Antilles), used in traditional cuisine, turned out to be behind a spike in ALS. Inspired by this, Spencer didn’t suspect the cycad this time but a widespread toxic mushroom.
His theory? The culprit was the giant gyromitra, known in France as the false morel (Gyromitra gigas). This mushroom contains toxins that act similarly to those in the cycad plant. According to a study published in the Journal of Neurological Sciences, the 14 patients in Savoie had all eaten the mushroom several times in years past—unlike their fellow villagers, who did not.
Tracing the False Morel’s Deadly Path
Savoie isn’t the only region where dining adventures have gone awry. Some villagers, well-accustomed to cooking wild plants and mushrooms, later recalled feeling distinctly unwell after feasts that included both true morels and their toxic doppelgängers. Let’s not forget: the sale of gyromitres has been banned in France since 1991 because of their potential toxicity.
But France is not alone in this culinary conundrum:
- In Finland, a region where the false morel is considered a delicacy, there has also been an uptick in ALS cases.
- Meanwhile, on Guam, ALS cases dramatically dropped once cycad seeds were taken off the menu.
These comparisons convinced scientific teams and authorities alike: it’s time to take the false morel off your “dinner with friends” list. The game of culinary Russian roulette just isn’t worth it.
Final Thoughts: Should You Worry?
If the words « false morel » or « Gyromitra gigas » ring any bells (especially if those bells are dinner chimes), here’s some advice: give these mushrooms a wide berth. The evidence uncovered—a painstaking, decade-long investigation—links repeated consumption of false morels to clusters of ALS in unsuspecting villagers.
The takeaway? Stick to certified edible varieties from trusted sources, and don’t play mushroom roulette! Sometimes, the greatest plot twist at your table should be who gets the last piece of dessert—not a hidden health risk lurking in your sauté.
John Smith is a culinary enthusiast and food blogger who discovered his love for Asian cuisine during his years living in Seoul and Tokyo. With a background in journalism, he brings a storytelling approach to exploring the cultural significance behind every dish. John is passionate about making Asian cooking accessible to home cooks and sharing the vibrant food scenes he encounters in his travels.
