There are few fungi with the gastronomic respect afforded to the chanterelle. It is prized for cooking throughout Europe and North America, although it is far more popular in Europe. In Germany it is known as the "Pfifferling."
The chanterelle is prized for its wonderful aroma, which most people describe as "fruity, much like apricots." It is best used in dishes that bring out its wonderful aroma-- some people even make a chanterelle sorbet as a dessert! There's no more pleasant smell that that of chanterelles cooking in the kitchen. Besides the flavor and smell, their texture is very nice also. You can click on any images on his page to take you to a larger image from my gopher site.
forked ridges of chanterelle Unlike the true gilled fungi (the Agaricales), the chanterelles have (at the most) blunt ridges or folds that bear the basidia. These ridges often fork dichotomously. Cantharellus is placed by most researchers in a separate order, the Cantharellales, along with the genus Craterellus. Cantharellus usually has clamp connections on the hyphae of the fruiting body, while in Craterellus clamps are usually lacking.