The Magic of Mushrooms
Some mushrooms make you high, but all mushrooms have some magic.
Unique Plantimal
Mushrooms are a unique food item. They are not a plant or an animal---they are a fungus. When we eat mushrooms, we only eat a small part of the organism. The mushroom is the fruit of the underground fungus. Because of their unique heritage, mushrooms contain many compounds not found in plants. They have more protein and are high in specific vitamins and minerals.
Mushrooming Popularity
Mushroom consumption in Canada has more than doubled since the 1980s. Canadians eat 4 pounds of mushrooms a year on average. Most European and Asian countries eat far more. A few European and Asian countries average more than 10 pounds of mushrooms per person per year.
Nutrients Plus Flavour
Mushrooms are low in calories but rich in nutrients. They are abundant in many harder-to-get minerals. They are also rich in vitamins and have compounds that act as flavour enhancers for other foods. They also have potential health benefits.
Kinds
White button
White buttons are the most common mushroom by far. They are also called table mushrooms. They are milder than most other mushrooms.
Cremini (small browns)
These are the white buttons that have grown a bit larger. Only 5 days of growth separate them. They have a deeper flavour than white buttons. They are a bit firmer, so they work well when added to foods.
Portobello
Portobello mushrooms are also the same species as white and small browns, but they are grown for another 5 days and can be up to 6” wide. They have a more robust, meatier flavour than white buttons. The flavour intensifies when cooked, so they are great grilled. This species is best not eaten raw in large doses.
Shiitake
These mushrooms have a rich flavour that gets stronger with cooking. The texture is denser than some other mushrooms. The stems are very tough, so they can be removed for eating.
Oyster
These velvety mushrooms are sometimes available in grocery stores. These are the seafood of mushrooms. They work great grilled whole.
Gather
Don’t collect mushrooms in the woods. A wide variety of mushrooms contain poisons, and many look similar to edible mushrooms. As little as half of a poisonous mushroom can kill an adult.
Eat
Most mushrooms can be eaten raw or roasted in the oven. They can be a great addition to pizza or pasta. They can also be chopped up quite small and added to a sauce or other dish. This gets you the benefits of mushrooms’ taste-enhancing properties even if you are not a big fan of the taste or texture of mushrooms. See the recipes at the back for more ways to use mushrooms.
Store
Mushrooms can continue to grow for a few days after harvest. Store mushrooms in a paper bag in the fridge for up to a week. Don’t use plastic, it traps too much moisture. Don’t freeze fresh mushrooms, but you can freeze them after they are cooked.
Mushroom Medicine
Turkey tail for cancer
Mushrooms have been used in Asia for medicinal uses. There are mushroom compounds that are used as part of cancer treatments. There are breast cancer studies where women receiving radiation treatment were also treated with 3-6g a day of turkey tail mushroom, and they restored white blood cell counts to pre-radiation levels. Mushrooms also seem to have immune effects, possibly related to their cancer-fighting effects.
Lion tail for thinking
In one study, lion tail mushrooms were used for a year for people with mild Alzheimer’s, and those on the lion tail mushroom pill improved mentally vs. a decline in the group not taking them. There is also evidence that it helps protect healthy digestion.
Other benefits
Other mushrooms, like reishi, may also have immune and anti-cancer properties. Shiitake mushrooms have also been shown to lower cholesterol, but only in animal studies.
The Lowdown on Fungi
Mushrooms are a unique substance, neither plant nor animal. They have a taste unlike plants or meat and are low in calories and high in nutrients. They also contain many complex compounds that may have medicinal properties. Add a few mushrooms to your diet---they offer some health benefits. Have some fun with fungi.
