...hunting for the trumpets of the dead

We went hunting for the trumpets of the dead….. To find the trumpets of the dead, you need sharp eyes, stout boots and knowledgeable neighbours.

The trumpets of the dead lurk in sodden banks of rotting leaves at the edge of the forest. They resemble truncated body parts of alien creatures……

But les trompettes des morts are mushrooms; queer-looking mushrooms but, despite their unappetising appearance and gothic-horror name, safe to eat. Safe is not the right word. They are wonderful to eat.

From Our Man in Paris by John Lichfield