Mushrooms are the fruiting bodies (i.e., the reproductive organs) of a wide variety of fungus species. Many kinds of mushroom are used for food in cuisines worldwide. Four common types of edible mushrooms are Button, Portobello, Shiitake and Crimini.http://cookingresources.suite101.com/article.cfm/varieties_and_types_of_edible_mushrooms
Button Mushrooms aka table mushrooms, or white mushrooms are the most common. They are a smaller type when compared to other varieties. Button mushrooms will take on the flavor of what it is cooked with and has a mild flavor of its own. You can find button mushrooms in stores canned, dried or fresh.
Portobello Mushrooms are often used as a replacement of meat by vegetarians because they are large and meaty, the cap alone can measure up to six inches. Some believe that the best way to cook a Portobello mushroom is to grill it since it helps bring out the flavor.
Shiitake Mushrooms are also a larger mushroom with the cap reaching up to four inches in diameter; however the stem of this mushroom is not normally eaten due to its texture. These mushrooms have a woodsy taste the meat texture is spongy. Shiitake mushrooms are commonly used in a variety of Asian dishes.
Crimini Mushrooms – are comparable to the button mushrooms due to their size and texture, but they are brown in color and slightly firmer. They also have more of earthy and meaty flavoring then button mushrooms. Crimini mushrooms are generally cooked in the same manner as a button mushroom making it a good alternative that contains a richer flavor.http://cookingresources.suite101.com/article.cfm/varieties_and_types_of_edible_mushrooms
Other Edible Varieties
The number of different mushrooms commonly eaten in North America has become much smaller with the advent of agribusiness and the grocery-store economy. Wild-collected varieties that used to be widely enjoyed include the morel, the chanterelle, the blewit, the ink cap, the maitake and the sulfur shelf. Many of these are now expensive luxury items. Truffles are also, by definition, mushrooms.
Grow Mushrooms from Spores
This video shows step by step instructions on how to start your own mushroom garden at home with the use of mushroom seeds or rather spores, flour, water and rice. You will also need a pressure cooker, tin foil, and a syringe for watering the glass containers your spores are in.
Mushroom Merchandise
- Amazon.com: Mushroom Merchandise
How to Saute Mushrooms
Chef Tristan Blash of Hip Cooks offers tips on how to cook mushrooms. Slice mushrooms thinly and rinse before sautéing. The mushrooms saute in butter until fully cooked. Fresh parsley, garlic, salt and pepper are added for seasoning and color
References
Fast Facts
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Fact:
Fleshy, spore-laden fungi
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Fact:
Mushrooms are produced by the organism mycelium
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Fact:
Mushrooms do not grow for very long
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Fact:
The mycelium that produces them, however, can live for many years
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Fact:
Some wild species are extremely poisonous
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Fact:
Research suggests mushrooms may have anti-cancer properties
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Fact:
80 to 90 percent water
