Know your Mushrooms
Know your Mushrooms - Introduction
Edible mushrooms are the fleshy and edible fruiting bodies of several species of fungi.
They belong to the macrofungi, because their fruiting structures are large enough to be seen with the naked eye.
They can appear either below ground (hypogeous) or above ground (epigous) where they may be picked by hand.
Know your Mushrooms - Varieties
Most of the table mushrooms we eat are all of the same variety. Its name is Agaricus bisporus, and it includes portobello, cremini, and white button mushrooms.
The difference between these popular varieties of mushrooms is just age.
White button mushrooms
The white button mushrooms, those very familiar kitchen staples, are simply the youngest variety.
They have been cultivated, too, for that white colour and soft texture.
In the wild these mushrooms are usually browner.
Portobello mushrooms
The portobello is the most mature mushroom here; it's really just an overgrown white mushroom.
They are left to grow for longer, until they have spread out into the popular, delicious, meaty cap.
Cremini mushrooms
The cremini mushroom is just in between the two varieties above.
It's a moderately mature version of the white button mushroom, which is why it has a similar flavour.
It's younger than the portobello, but still related, which is why these are sometimes sold as "baby bella" or "baby portobello" mushrooms.
Know your Mushrooms - Edibility
Edibility may be defined by criteria that include absence of poisonous effects on humans and desirable taste and aroma.
By some accounts, less than 10% of all mushrooms may be edible.
Edible mushrooms are consumed by humans for their nutritional and occasionally medicinal value as comestibles.
Mushrooms consumed for health reasons are known as medicinal mushrooms.
Hallucinogenic mushrooms (e.g. Psilocybin mushrooms) are occasionally consumed for recreational or religious purposes, they can produce severe nausea and disorientation, and are therefore not commonly considered edible mushrooms.
Edible mushrooms include many fungal species that are either harvested wild or cultivated.
Easily cultivatable and common wild mushrooms are often available in markets, and those that are more difficult to obtain (such as the prized truffle and matsutake) may be collected on a smaller scale by private gatherers.
Know your Mushrooms - Identification
Before assuming that any wild mushroom is edible, it should be identified.
Proper identification of a species is the only safe way to ensure edibility.
Some mushrooms that are edible for most people can cause allergic reactions in some individuals, and old or improperly stored specimens can cause food poisoning.
Deadly poisonous mushrooms that are frequently confused with edible mushrooms and responsible for many fatal poisonings are several species of the Amanita genus, in particular, Amanita phalloides, the death cap.
Some preparations may render certain poisonous mushrooms fit for consumption.
Know your Mushrooms - Medicinal use
Many species of medicinal mushrooms have been used in folk medicine for thousands of years.
The use of medicinal mushrooms in folk medicine is best documented in the East.
Medicinal mushrooms are now the subject of study for many ethnobotanists and medical researchers.
The ability of some mushrooms to inhibit tumor growth and enhance aspects of the immune system has been a subject of research for approximately 50 years.
International mushroom research continues today, with a focus on mushrooms that may have hypoglycemic activity, anti-cancer activity, anti-pathogenic activity, and immune system enhancing activity.
Know your Mushrooms - Nutrition
Oyster mushrooms
Recent research has found that the oyster mushroom naturally contains the cholesterol drug lovastatin.
Mushrooms produce large amounts of vitamin D when exposed to UV light.
Mushrooms that have been exposed to UV light are the only natural, vegan source of vitamin D.
