A handful of the mushrooms shown here can be purchased at your local supermarket. Others are only available in speciality markets. If you want to find others, you’ll have to put on your goloshes and venture into the woods.
If you want to learn more about this unique culinary fungus, we’ve put together a list for you. There are 39 different kinds of edible mushrooms listed below. Some of them you may recognise, but the majority of them you have likely never heard of.
If you choose the more adventurous path, make sure you understand what you’re doing. Many mushrooms have a similar appearance, however, not all of them are edible. Even some of the items on the list below, if not properly prepared, can be harmful.
1. Bay Bolete Mushroom
The Bay Bolete mushroom, a distant relative of the more well-known porcini, has a mild flavour. It’s common to see it in Mexican marketplaces near Izta-Popo Zoquiapan National Park, where it’s commonly harvested. Young mushrooms are good raw, older mushrooms are great for drying, and any form is delicious cooked in vegan butter.
The Bay Bolete, like the rest of the Bolete family, is a beautiful mushroom! They also appear to be fruit in large quantities and in groups. This enables the mushroom hunter to select only the best specimens, which are ideal for the picky forager cook!
2. White Button Mushrooms
The most common and mild-tasting mushrooms found in the Indian market are white button mushrooms. Button mushrooms, also known as cultivated mushrooms or champignons de Paris, have a milder flavour than some of the more exotic varieties.
It is best used in soups, salads, and pizzas, and can be consumed raw or cooked. Despite the opinion that these mushrooms aren’t as healthful as others, they do have certain unique health benefits.
3. Black Trumpet Mushroom
Despite its unappealing look, the funnel-shaped Black Trumpet mushroom is highly sought after. It’s high in protein and contains sugar alcohols that give it a sweet flavour, yet it’s low in net carbs compared to other sweet vegetables.
Dried black trumpets can be crushed on top of foods as a garnish, while fresh black trumpets are delicious in both sweet and savoury dishes.
4. Portobello Mushrooms
Portobello Mushrooms are a type of fungus native to the grasslands of Europe and North America. They are one of the most widely consumed mushrooms on the planet. Portobello mushrooms are known as white button mushrooms when they are young.
Because of their size, meaty texture, and earthy flavour, these mushrooms are outstanding. Portobello mushroom, like its other variations, is a natural source of vitamin D. Copper and selenium, which your body requires to make connective tissue, digest iron, and produce energy and antioxidants, are abundant in them.
5. Caesar’s Mushroom
Caesar’s mushroom has a long and illustrious history, as its name suggests. It was a favourite of the Roman nobles and is native to Southern Europe and Northern Africa.
The juvenile button stage is when it is most typically consumed. It is commonly served raw in Italy with oil and salt, but it is also great when fried with spices.
6. Shiitake Mushrooms
Shiitake mushrooms are one of the world’s most popular mushrooms and with good cause. They’re noted for their savoury, rich flavour and a variety of health advantages. This mushroom is a Japanese native. Shiitake is a Japanese word that means “oak fungus.”
Shiitake mushrooms have a subtle woodsy flavour and scent when they are fresh. These have a meaty, chewy texture and go well with practically anything. They’re well-known for their medicinal benefits, and powdered supplements can be bought in many herbal pharmacies.
Also Read: 7 Curries That Make Up The Taste Of India!