A wide variety and types of mushrooms mean unlimited possibilities and recipes. In addition to being high in fiber and minerals, Mushrooms have no fat or cholesterol. These vegetables are in high demand worldwide because of their adaptability and the fact that they have the heft and texture of meat. Fortunately, we don’t need to travel far to find them these days. Some of the most popular mushroom kinds’ flavor attributes are provided below.
Types of Mushrooms and their Uses
1. Oyster
Mushrooms that resemble oysters got their name for a reason: they look like oysters. But imagine a group of oysters together. Oyster mushrooms are white and have a gentle, almost sweet scent and flavor. They are extremely sensitive and chewy. Oyster mushrooms become meaty when cooked. In soups, sauces, and stir-fries, use oyster mushrooms.
2. Shiitake
The shiitake mushroom has an appealing appearance with a long, slender stem and a smooth, slightly concave cap. To make soups and sauces, shiitake mushrooms have an earthy flavor that works well with fresh ones. Toss the stems before cooking. The earthy, woodsy flavor of dried shiitake mushrooms is also commonly used.
Read also: How to grow mushrooms
3. Portobello
It’s hard to believe how “meaty” and flavorful portobello mushrooms can be for such a massive mushroom (around the size of your hand). The fact that they’re dense and can be cooked in various ways (grilling, broiling, and roasting) makes them a good vegetarian meat substitute.
4. Cremini
Crimini mushrooms, a young portobello variation, are often called “baby Bellas.” Compared to their white button cousin, they have a firmer texture, a deeper color, and a tastier flavor. However, they can be a little more expensive than white buttons.
5. White button
The white button mushroom is the most common and mild. Raw or cooked, button mushrooms have a delicate flavor and texture. Soups, salads, pizza, spaghetti, and lasagna all benefit from adding these ingredients (to name a few).
Read also: How to cook mushrooms quickly?
6. Wood Blewit Mushroom
The wood blewit is edible even though some people may experience allergic reactions. Although they can trigger reactions even when cooked, this is especially true when consumed raw. As a result, it is recommended that you begin by consuming tiny amounts.
It is possible to find them in the wild in places like the UK, France, and Holland, but they are also grown there. Blewits can be used as a filler for omelets or stews, or they can be cooked in butter or cream sauce.
7. Black Trumpet Mushrooms
Black chanterelles, or black trumpets, are occasionally referred to as such. The flavor of these mushrooms is much sought after, despite their unappealing appearance. The flavor is described as smoky and deep. These mushrooms can take on a black truffle-like flavor when they are allowed to dry out.
It is easy for beginners to distinguish them from other mushrooms while mushroom foraging because they are not deadly like their poisonous counterparts. Despite this, they can be difficult to come by. You can caramelize them and add them to pasta if you find some.
8. Chicken Of The Woods Mushrooms
The scientific name for Chicken of the Woods is Laetiporus, which translates to “with sparkling pores.”
This gorgeous orange-hued fungus grows in clumps on tree limbs. Typically, these mushrooms have a deep orange center with a lighter orange margin.
This mushroom’s name comes from the common misconception that it tastes like chicken. Many of the same methods used to prepare chicken can be used to produce this dish. If you’re vegetarian or vegan and craving fried “chicken,” this is an excellent meat substitute.
9. Hedgehog Mushrooms
The gills beneath the crown of hedgehog or sweet tooth mushrooms are what gives them their name. They develop spiky shapes that resemble hedgehogs as they dangle down. Harvesting hedgehog mushrooms are completely safe because no harmful lookalikes exist.
If properly prepared, they have a sweet, nutty taste and a crispy texture. Simmering them in milk or stock is also an option. Recipe for Wild Mushroom Soup with Hedgehog Mushrooms. It is possible to make this soup with almost any kind of edible fungus, but the hedgehog is the star of the show here.
10. Reishi Mushrooms
If you don’t want to consume something that looks like cork or grows on trees, then you’re looking at a polypore. In the wild, it’s quite rare, but it can currently be grown commercially on hardwood logs or sawdust.
Research on Reishi mushrooms’ benefits is limited. However, some suggest that the mushrooms can relieve fatigue, lower cholesterol, enhance immunity (and possibly even combat HIV and AIDS), reduce blood pressure and inflammation, and alleviate the lower urinary system symptoms.
Some Other Types of Mashroom
Matsutake Mushrooms
The pine mushroom, often known as the matsutake, is a Japanese delicacy seldom known outside of Japan. However, it is a highly sought-after mushroom in the cuisines of China, Korea, and Japan. Spicy is the only way to describe the scent.
To find matsutake mushrooms, you’ll need to look for them under specific trees, where leaves and other brush obscure them.
Rabbits, deer, squirrels, and other wildlife can also quickly devour them if they locate them first. At the start of the season, a kilogram (approximately 455 pounds) of top-quality Japanese matsutake mushrooms may bring as much as $1,000. It’s usual for imported matsutake to cost roughly $90 a kilogram (about $41 a pound).
Giant Puffball Mushrooms
Puffball mushrooms can grow into enormous specimens. It can hold up to 21 kg or 44 lbs! They’re harvested when they’re still young and tender for culinary purposes. Pufferfish that have turned yellow or brown have begun to produce spores that can upset the stomach. Before consuming puffballs, it is necessary to cut them open to ensure that they are not dangerous mushrooms.
Unlike other mushrooms, edible puffballs have a white interior, whereas other mushrooms have a yellowish interior or resemble a cap. Puffball mushrooms burst forth trillions of spores if they are allowed to reach full size.
Morel Mushroom
These peculiar mushrooms feature a honeycomb appearance on their cap, unique among mushroom kinds. Gourmet cooks admire morels for their savory and delectable qualities, especially in French cuisine. Commercial harvesting of wild morels is becoming a multimillion-dollar industry throughout the temperate Northern Hemisphere, particularly in North America, China, Turkey, the Himalayas, India, and Pakistan, where these highly sought fungi are found in plenty due to problems in cultivation.
Sautéing morels in butter and seasoning them with salt and pepper is one of the tastiest and simplest ways to enjoy them. They’re a little chewy and delicious. Serve them alongside meat and poultry, in soups, or as pasta stuffing.
Conclusion:
A species of fungus known as a mushroom has been around since the beginning of time. Ancient Earth was covered with huge mushrooms that grew to 24 feet and three feet in diameter. Only a third or a fifth of the mushrooms in North America are known to science.
Most mushrooms are inedible but safe, a quarter of them are edible but not exceptional, a quarter of them will make you sick, and a quarter of them will be delicious to superb.
Mushrooms have been eaten and utilized for medical purposes throughout the world. They were so fond of mushrooms that the Egyptian Pharaohs made them a delicacy only for the elite and barred commoners from eating them.
