Emily Johnson
Mushrooms are the fleshy, spore-bearing fruit bodies of fungi, typically produced above ground. They come in many shapes and sizes and are used for a variety of purposes, from cooking to dyeing wool and other natural fibres. Some common edible mushroom varieties include white button mushrooms, criminis, portobellos, shiitake, lion's mane, black trumpets, and king oysters. Mushrooms can be farmed or foraged, and their flavours can vary from mild to funky. Some mushrooms, like psilocybin mushrooms, are even used for medicinal purposes, such as treating addiction.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Most common type | Button mushrooms |
| Other common types | Cremini, portobellos, shiitake, oyster, lion's mane, king oyster, beech, morrel, porcini, chanterelle |
| Color | White, brown |
| Flavor | Mild, nutty, earthy, sweet |
| Texture | Crunchy, soft, tender, dense, meaty |
| Use cases | Soups, stews, salads, frying, grilling, searing, marinating, sautéeing, stir-fries, pastas, sandwiches, pizzas, sauces, omelettes |
| Health benefits | Protection from dementia, anxiety relief, anti-inflammatory, immune-boosting, reduction in heart disease & cancer |
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What You'll Learn
- Common edible mushrooms include buttons, oysters, and chantarelles
- Maitake mushrooms are available in the late summer and are a popular meat substitute
- Enoki mushrooms are small and grow in bouquets of tightly packed stems
- Psilocybin mushrooms have been used to treat addiction
- Mushrooms can be used for dyeing wool and other natural fibers
Common edible mushrooms include buttons, oysters, and chantarelles
Common edible mushrooms include buttons, oysters, and chanterelles.
Buttons
Button mushrooms are the most common type of mushroom found in grocery stores, constituting around 90% of the mushrooms consumed in the US. They are mild in flavor and can be eaten raw or cooked. They are often used in soups, salads, pizzas, and sandwiches. White button mushrooms, criminis, and portobellos are all the same species at different stages of their life cycle. Crimini mushrooms are darker, firmer, and more mature than white button mushrooms, but smaller and younger than portobellos.
Oysters
Oyster mushrooms, or Pleurotus ostreatus, are one of the most commonly cultivated mushrooms globally. They are grown commercially in many countries and are especially popular in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean cuisines. Oyster mushrooms have a delicate texture and a mild, savory flavor. They can be eaten raw or cooked and are often used in stir-fries, sautés, and grilled dishes. Oyster mushrooms are also used to make mycelium furniture and other products.
Chanterelles
Chanterelles are golden-hued, fleshy, and firm mushrooms with a trumpet-like shape and a depression in the center of their caps. They are known for their apricot-like scent and peppery taste. Chanterelles are challenging to cultivate, so they are typically foraged in the wild. They are commonly used in European and North American cuisines and are considered one of the most important and best edible mushrooms. Chanterelles are rich in fat-soluble flavorful compounds, making them suitable for sautéing in butter, oil, or cream. They also contain smaller amounts of water- and alcohol-soluble flavorings, making them versatile in recipes with wine or other cooking alcohols.
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Maitake mushrooms are available in the late summer and are a popular meat substitute
Mushrooms are versatile ingredients that can be used in a variety of dishes, from omelettes to stews. There are many different types of mushrooms, each with its own unique characteristics and flavour profiles. Some common varieties include white button mushrooms, criminis, portobellos, oyster mushrooms, and lion's mane mushrooms.
One variety that is particularly sought after is the Maitake mushroom. Maitake mushrooms, also known as "hen of the woods", "ram's head", or "sheep's head", are typically found in the wild during late summer or early autumn. They grow in large, velvety clusters, with some fruiting bodies weighing up to 100 pounds! Maitake mushrooms have a rich, earthy, and slightly spicy flavour, and a chewy, semi-firm texture when cooked. They are prized by chefs and home cooks and are popular due to their health benefits, purported to be cholesterol-free, fat-free, and low in calories, while also being rich in antioxidants, amino acids, and various vitamins.
Maitake mushrooms are a popular ingredient among chefs and home cooks alike, often used in stir-fries, stews, vegetable stocks, and pasta dishes. They are also used by some as a dietary supplement due to their health benefits. While Maitake mushrooms are available year-round from certain suppliers, their availability in the wild is dependent on weather conditions.
Maitake mushrooms are also popular as a meat substitute due to their succulent texture and bold flavour. When cooked, they have a chewy, semi-firm texture, and their flavour is described as woodsy and earthy, with a hint of spice. If you're looking for a meat substitute with a similar texture, King oyster mushrooms are a great option. They have a hearty bite and can be used as a direct replacement for Maitake mushrooms in recipes, especially when grilling.
Other substitutes for Maitake mushrooms include shiitake mushrooms, which are rich and nutty with a hint of smokiness, and oyster mushrooms, which are more delicate in flavour but have a similar meaty texture. Beech and enoki mushrooms can also be used as substitutes, adding a crunchy texture to dishes, but their milder flavour means they are better suited to applications where texture is the main concern.
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Enoki mushrooms are small and grow in bouquets of tightly packed stems
Mushrooms are fungi, and they are a close relative to animals, rather than plants. There are many different types of mushrooms, including criminis, portobellos, oyster mushrooms, lion's mane, chanterelles, and enoki mushrooms. Enoki mushrooms are small and grow in bouquets of tightly packed stems.
Enoki mushrooms, or Flammulina velutipes, are native to East Asia but are now cultivated worldwide. They have been growing wild since ancient times in Eastern Asia and North America, with many experts dating the variety back to at least 800 BCE in Asia. The name "enokitake" comes from the fact that they grow on Chinese hackberry or enoki trees in Asia. The cultivated variety is grown in the dark in a carbon-dioxide-rich environment to encourage the stems to grow long, thin, and white. The caps of cultivated enoki are typically white, while wild enoki has brown caps that are darkest at the center, fading to yellow or tan at the edges. Wild enoki also has a fuzzy coating that is usually darker than the stem and looks like brown or black velvet, giving them the name "velvet foot" or "velvet shank" mushrooms.
Cultivated enoki mushrooms are grown to have long, thin stems and tiny caps. They are typically snow-white with petite, convex caps, but differ greatly from their wild counterparts. Wild enoki mushrooms have larger caps, shorter stems, and range in color from orange to brown. They are slightly sticky, rubbery, velvety in consistency, and have an earthier flavor. Enoki mushrooms are highly favored in Asian cuisine for their al dente texture and are commonly used in hot pot and stir-fries. They can be eaten raw or cooked and are known for their crunchy texture and mild, fruity, and peppery flavor.
Enoki mushrooms are popular culinary mushrooms because of their unique appearance, flavor, and texture. They are very versatile, and their stems add a lovely crispy texture to salads, soups, hot pots, stews, and stir-fries. They are a staple ingredient in Japan, China, and Korea, where they are often used to make nametake, a salty umami-packed condiment made from cooked enoki in flavored soy sauce. Enoki mushrooms are also known to have anti-inflammatory properties and are excellent immune system boosters, containing dietary fiber, niacin, calcium, potassium, selenium, copper, phosphorus, and iron.
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Psilocybin mushrooms have been used to treat addiction
Mushrooms are fungi, and they come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Some common edible mushrooms include button mushrooms, criminis, portobellos, oyster mushrooms, lion's mane mushrooms, chanterelles, black trumpets, and maitakes. While some mushrooms are safe to consume, others can be toxic or even deadly. It is crucial to accurately identify mushrooms before consuming them.
Psilocybin mushrooms, also known as "magic mushrooms", are a type of hallucinogenic mushroom. They have been used by humans for centuries, often for spiritual or recreational purposes. Despite their potential for abuse and their illegality in many places, psilocybin mushrooms have also been explored as a potential treatment for addiction.
While the idea of using a hallucinogen to treat addiction may seem counterintuitive, psilocybin has shown promising results in early studies. For example, a 2017 Johns Hopkins University pilot study found that most participants were able to quit smoking for at least 16 months after receiving moderate to high doses of psilocybin. Similarly, a 2015 study by Michael Bogenschutz observed a significant increase in abstinence among alcohol addicts following psilocybin-assisted therapy.
The mechanism behind psilocybin's potential efficacy in treating addiction may lie in its ability to induce a profound psychological experience that facilitates behavioural changes. This is supported by observational studies, which have found that psilocybin use is associated with a reduced risk of using other substances, such as cocaine, marijuana, and opioids. Furthermore, psilocybin-assisted therapy has also shown promise in treating depression, which often co-occurs with substance use disorders.
While the research is still ongoing, the accumulating evidence suggests that psilocybin mushrooms may indeed have therapeutic potential in the treatment of addiction. This has led to a resurgence in the scientific exploration of psychedelics, often referred to as the "psychedelic renaissance." As more studies are conducted, we may uncover new and effective treatments for substance use disorders, which have traditionally been challenging to address.
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Mushrooms can be used for dyeing wool and other natural fibers
Mushrooms can be used for dyeing wool and other natural fibres. The tradition of using fungi for dyeing has a long history, dating back to as early as the 15th century. While there is no set rule or recipe for extracting dye from mushrooms, it is a fun process of experimentation. Different mushrooms, even those from the same family, often require unique treatments to produce dye.
Fibres that can be dyed include wool, silk, cellulose fibres such as cotton, linen, and hemp, as well as paper. However, mushrooms tend to create brighter, more vibrant colours on protein/animal-based fibres such as wool and silk. When using cellulose fibres, colours are usually more muted and lighter, and the process is more complex.
Before dyeing, it is important to prepare the fibre by applying a mordant, which enables the colour from the mushroom dye to bind with the material. Different mordants can be used to achieve varying colours. For instance, using iron mordant may result in darker colours, while copper mordant can shift colours towards blue and green. Additionally, pH modifiers such as vinegar or citric acid can be used to emphasise red tones, while ammonia or washing soda can enhance blue tones.
The process of dyeing involves creating a mushroom dye bath. The ratio of dried mushrooms to fibre is crucial, typically starting at one ounce of dried mushroom to one ounce of wool. The mushroom dye bath is then heated to a specific temperature range, with constant monitoring to avoid agitation. After maintaining the heat for about an hour, the wool is left to cool in the dye bath, preferably overnight, to allow for maximum colour absorption. Finally, the dyed wool is gently removed from the bath and rinsed in room-temperature water.
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Frequently asked questions
Button mushrooms, also known as white mushrooms, are the most common variety found in grocery stores. They are mild in flavour and soft in texture, making them versatile for various dishes.
Wild mushrooms include chanterelles, oyster mushrooms, shiitake, and lion's mane mushrooms. They offer intense flavours and unique textures, perfect for elevating dishes.
Chanterelles have a trumpet-like shape with a depression in the centre of their golden caps. They are known for their apricot-like scent and are commonly used in European cuisines.
Maitake mushrooms, also known as "hen of the woods," have an earthy aroma and a rich, gamey flavour. Portobello mushrooms are also a popular choice due to their chewy, meaty texture and smoky, earthy flavour.
Enoki mushrooms, also known as enokitake, are commonly used in Japanese and East Asian cooking. They are small, shiny, and white, with long stems and petite caps.
