Edible mushrooms are the fruit bodies of numerous species of macrofungi (fungi that bear fruiting structures large enough to be seen with the naked eye). Edibility may be defined by criteria including the absence of effects on humans and desirable taste and aroma. Mushrooms that have a particularly desirable taste are described as " choice". Edible mushrooms are consumed for their and culinary value. Mushrooms, especially dried shiitake, are sources of umami flavor.
To ensure safety, wild mushrooms must be correctly identified before their edibility can be assumed. Deadly poisonous mushrooms that are frequently confused with edible mushrooms include several species of the genus Amanita, particularly A. phalloides, the death cap. Some mushrooms that are edible for most people can cause allergic reactions in others; old or improperly stored specimens can go rancid and cause food poisoning.
Several varieties of fungi contain psychedelic compounds—the —while variously resembling non-psychoactive species. The most commonly consumed for recreational use are Amanita muscaria (the fly agaric) and Psilocybe cubensis, with the former containing alkaloids such as muscimol and the latter predominately psilocybin.
Edible mushrooms include many fungal species that are either mushroom hunting or fungiculture. Easily cultivated and common wild mushrooms are often available in Marketplace; those that are more difficult to obtain (such as the prized truffle, matsutake, and Morchella) may be collected on a smaller scale and are sometimes available at farmers' markets or other local grocers. Despite long-term use in folk medicine, there is no evidence that consuming so-called "medicinal mushrooms" cures or lowers the risk of human diseases.
Description
Mushrooms can appear either below ground (
hypogeous) or above ground (
epigeous) and can be picked by hand.
The act of foraging fungi is referred to as
mushroom hunting.
Edibility may be defined by criteria including the absence of poisonous effects on humans and desirable taste and aroma.
List of edible mushrooms
Commercially cultivated
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Agaricus bisporus dominates the edible mushroom market in North America and Europe, in several forms. It is an edible basidiomycete mushroom native to grasslands in Europe and North America. As it ages, this mushroom turns from small, white and smooth to large and light brown. In its youngest form, it is known as the 'common mushroom', 'button mushroom', 'cultivated mushroom', and 'champignon mushroom'. Its semi-mature form is known variously as 'cremini', 'baby-bella', 'Swiss brown' mushroom, 'Roman brown' mushroom, 'Italian brown' mushroom, or 'chestnut' mushroom. Its fully mature form is known as 'portobello'.
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Pleurotus species, the oyster mushrooms, are commonly grown at industrial scale.
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Morchella species, (morel family) morels belong to the ascomycete grouping of fungi. Morels are difficult to grow commercially, but there are ongoing efforts to make cultivating morels at scale a reality.
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Lentinula edodes, the shiitake mushroom
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Auricularia heimuer, wood ear mushroom
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Volvariella volvacea, the paddy straw mushroom or straw mushroom
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Volvariella bombycina, the silky rosegill mushroom
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Flammulina filiformis, the enoki mushroom, golden needle mushroom, seafood mushroom, lily mushroom, or winter mushroom
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Flammulina velutipes
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Tremella fuciformis, the snow fungus, snow ear, silver ear fungus and white jelly mushroom
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Hypsizygus tessulatus, aka Hypsizygus marmoreus, the beech mushroom, also known in its white and brown varieties as Bunapi-shimeji and Buna-shimeji, respectively
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Stropharia rugosoannulata, the wine cap mushroom, burgundy mushroom, garden giant mushroom or king stropharia
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Cyclocybe aegerita, the pioppino, velvet pioppini, poplar or black poplar mushroom
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Hericium erinaceus, the lion's mane, monkey head, bearded tooth, satyr's beard, bearded hedgehog, or pom pom mushroom.
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Phallus indusiatus, the bamboo mushrooms, bamboo pith, long net stinkhorn, crinoline stinkhorn or veiled lady mushroom.
Commercially harvested wild fungi
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Boletus edulis or edible Boletus, native to Europe, known in Italian as fungo porcino (plural porcini) (pig mushroom), in German as Steinpilz (stone mushroom), in Russian as Белый гриб, Bely grib (white mushroom), in French as the cèpe, and in the UK as the penny bun. It is also known as the king bolete, and is renowned for its delicious flavor. It is sought after worldwide, and can be found in a variety of culinary dishes.
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Boletus griseus, the gray bolete
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Boletus variipes
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Boletus pinophilus, the pinewood king bolete
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Calbovista subsculpta, commonly known as the sculptured giant puffball is a common puffball of the Rocky Mountains and Pacific Coast ranges of western North America. The puffball is more or less round with a diameter of up to , white becoming brownish in age, and covered with shallow pyramid-shaped plates or scales. It fruits singly or in groups along roads and in open woods at high elevations, from summer to autumn. It is considered a choice edible species while its interior flesh (the gleba) is still firm and white. As the puffball matures, its insides become dark brown and powdery from mature spores.
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Calvatia gigantea, the giant puffball. Giant puffballs are considered a choice edible species and are commonly found in meadows, fields, and deciduous forests usually in late summer and autumn. It is found in temperate areas throughout the world.
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Cantharellus cibarius (the chanterelle). The yellow chanterelle is one of the best and most easily recognizable mushrooms and can be found in Asia, Europe, North America and Australia. There are poisonous mushrooms that resemble it, though these can be confidently distinguished if one is familiar with the chanterelle's identifying features.
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Craterellus tubaeformis, the tube chanterelle, yellow foot chanterelle or yellow-leg
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Clitocybe nuda, blewit (or blewitt)
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Cortinarius caperatus, the Gypsy mushroom
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Craterellus cornucopioides, Trompette de la mort (trumpet of death) or horn of plenty
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Grifola frondosa, known in Japan as maitake (also "hen of the woods" or "sheep's head"), a large, hearty mushroom commonly found on or near stumps and bases of oak trees, and believed to have Macrolepiota procera properties.
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Hericium erinaceus, a tooth fungus; also called "lion's mane mushroom"
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Hydnum repandum, sweet tooth fungus, hedgehog mushroom or hedgehog fungus, urchin of the woods
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Lactarius deliciosus, saffron milk cap, consumed around the world and prized in Russia
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Morchella genus (morel family) morels belong to the ascomycete grouping of fungi. They are usually found in open scrub, woodland or open ground in late spring. When collecting this fungus, care must be taken to distinguish it from the poisonous , including Gyromitra esculenta. The morel must be cooked before eating.
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Pleurotus species are sometimes commercially harvested despite the ease of cultivation.
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Pleurotus ostreatus
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Termitomyces species are symbiotes of and the mushrooms grow out of termite mounds. This genus includes the largest edible mushroom, Termitomyces titanicus, with a cap that averages 1 m in diameter,
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Tricholoma matsutake, the matsutake, a mushroom highly prized in Japanese cuisine.
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Tuber genus (truffles). Truffles have long eluded the modern techniques of domestication known as trufficulture. Although the field of trufficulture has greatly expanded since its inception in 1808, several species still remain uncultivated. Domesticated truffles include:
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Tuber aestivum, black summer truffle
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Tuber borchii, bianchetto truffle
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Tuber brumale, muscat truffle
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Tuber indicum, Chinese black truffle
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Tuber macrosporum, smooth black truffle
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Tuber mesentericum, the Bagnoli truffle
[ T. mesenterium was first reported in Great Britain after the wet August 2008: ]
Other edible wild species
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Agaricus arvensis (horse mushroom)
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Agaricus silvaticus (pinewood mushroom)
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Agaricus campestris (field mushroom)
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Aleuria aurantia (orange peel fungus)
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Amanita caesarea (Caesar's mushroom)
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Armillaria mellea (honey mushroom)
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Boletus badius (bay bolete)
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Calocybe gambosa (St George's mushroom)
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Calvatia utriformis (syn. Lycoperdon caelatum)
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Calvatia cyathiformis (purple-spored puffball)
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Chroogomphus genus (pine-spikes or spike-caps)
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Clavariaceae genus (coral fungus family)
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Clavulinaceae genus (coral fungus family)
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Coprinus comatus, the shaggy mane, shaggy inkcap or lawyer's wig. Must be cooking as soon as possible after harvesting or the caps will first turn dark and unappetizing, then deliquesce and turn to ink. Not found in markets for this reason.
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Corn smut ( Ustilago maydis), economically important pathogens of cereals. Known in Mexico as huitlacoche, where it is considered a delicacy. Corn smuts can be used as fillings in quesadillas, tacos and soups.
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Cyttaria espinosae
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Fistulina hepatica (beefsteak polypore or ox tongue)
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Flammulina velutipes (velvet shank or winter fungus)
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Gomphidius glutinosus (slimy spike-cap)
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Hygrophorus chrysodon (gold flecked woodwax)
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Kalaharituber pfeilii'']]
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Lactarius deterrimus (orange milkcap)
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Lactarius salmonicolor'']]
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Lactarius subdulcis (mild milkcap)
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Lactarius volemus (fishy milkcap), also known as weeping milkcap
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Laetiporus sulphureus (sulphur shelf), also known by names such as "chicken mushroom", "chicken fungus"; a distinct bracket fungus popular among mushroom hunters
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Leccinum aurantiacum (red-capped scaber stalk)
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Leccinum scabrum (birch bolete)
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Leccinum versipelle (orange birch bolete / Boletus testaceoscaber)
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Macrolepiota procera (parasol mushroom); globally, it is widespread in temperate regions
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Marasmius oreades (fairy ring champignon)
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Polyporus mylittae (blackfellow's bread)
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Polyporus squamosus (dryad's saddle and pheasant's back mushroom)
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Pseudohydnum gelatinosum (toothed jelly fungus)
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Ramariaceae genus (coral fungus family)
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Rhizopogon luteolus
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Russula; some members of this genus, such as Russula laeta, are edible
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Sparassis crispa, also known as "cauliflower mushroom"
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Suillus bovinus (bovine bolete)
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Suillus granulatus (weeping bolete), also known as "granulated bolete"
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Suillus grevillei (tamarack jack)
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Suillus luteus (slippery jack)
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Suillus tomentosus (woolly-capped suillus)
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Suillus brevipes (short-stemmed slippery Jack)
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Suillus pictus (painted suillus)
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Suillus decipiens
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Tricholoma portentosum
Conditionally edible species
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Amanita fulva (tawny grisette) must be cooked before eating.
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Amanita muscaria is edible if to leach out toxins;
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Amanita rubescens (the blusher) must be cooked before eating.
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Coprinopsis atramentaria ( Coprinus atramentarius, common inkcap) is edible without special preparation, but consumption with alcohol is toxic due to the presence of coprine. Some other Coprinus spp. share this property.
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Gyromitra esculenta (false morel, turban, brain mushroom) is eaten by some after it has been parboiled, but many mycologists do not recommend it. Raw Gyromitra are toxic due to the presence of gyromitrin, and it is not known whether all of the toxin can be removed by parboiling.
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Lactarius spp. Apart from Lactarius deliciosus (saffron milkcap), which is universally considered edible, other Lactarius spp. that are considered toxic elsewhere in the world are eaten in some Eastern European countries and Russia after pickling or parboiling.
[Arora, David (1986). Mushrooms Demystified, 2nd ed. Ten Speed Press.]
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Lactarius indigo
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Lactarius paradoxus
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Lactarius corrugis
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Lactarius volemus
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Lactarius hygrophoroides
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Lepista saeva (field blewit, blue leg, or Tricholoma personatum) must be cooked before eating.
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Morchella esculenta (morel) must be cooked before eating.
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Verpa bohemica is considered choice by some—it even can be found for sale as a "morel"—but cases of toxicity have been reported. Verpas appear to contain monomethylhydrazine
[ FDA Import Alert IA2502 ] and similar precautions apply to them as Gyromitra species.
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Tricholoma terreum (grey knight), might cause rhabdomyolysis
Cultivation
Mushroom cultivation has a long history, with over twenty species commercially cultivated. Mushrooms are cultivated in at least 60 countries.
A fraction of the many fungi consumed by humans are currently cultivated and sold commercially. Commercial cultivation is important ecologically, as there have been concerns of the depletion of larger fungi such as
in Europe, possibly because the group has grown popular, yet remains a challenge to cultivate.
Some mushrooms, particularly mycorrhizal species, have not yet been successfully cultivated.
In 2019, world production of commercial mushrooms and recorded truffle collection reported to the Food and Agriculture Organization was 11.9 million , led by China with 75% of the total:
Safety concerns
Some wild species are
toxic, or at least indigestible, when raw.
Failure to identify poisonous mushrooms and confusing them with edible ones has resulted in death.
Deadly poisonous mushrooms that are frequently confused with edible mushrooms and responsible for many fatal poisonings include several species of the genus Amanita, particularly Amanita phalloides, the death cap. Some mushrooms that are edible for most people can cause allergic reactions in some individuals with no prior knowledge of an allergy; old or improperly stored specimens can go rancid quickly and cause food poisoning. Great care should therefore be taken when eating any fungus for the first time, and only small quantities should be consumed in case of individual allergies or reactions. Even normally edible species of mushrooms may be dangerous, as certain mushrooms growing in polluted locations can act as chemical-absorbers, bioaccumulation pollutants and heavy metals, including arsenic and iron, sometimes in lethal concentrations.
Additionally, several varieties of fungi are known and documented to contain psychedelic drugs—the so-called —yet resemble perfectly edible, non-psychoactive species. While not necessarily lethal to consume, to the uninitiated, an accidentally induced psychedelic experience can run the gamut from benign to terrifying, even depressing or psychotic. The most commonly consumed for recreational psychoactive use are Amanita muscaria (the fly agaric) and Psilocybe cubensis, with the former containing alkaloids such as muscimol and the latter predominately psilocybin. Both have the potential to induce in the user feelings of awe, wonder with nature, interesting visual hallucinations and inner peace (even in mild doses), but excessive or accidental consumption can create feelings of insanity, helplessness and fear, usually persisting for a few hours.
Nutrition
Higher mushroom consumption has been associated with lower risk of breast cancer.
A commonly eaten mushroom is the white mushroom ( Agaricus bisporus). In a reference serving, Agaricus mushrooms provide of food energy and are 92% water, 3% , 3% protein, and 0.3% fat. They contain high levels of riboflavin, niacin, and pantothenic acid, with moderate content of phosphorus (see table). Otherwise, raw white mushrooms generally have low amounts of essential nutrients. Although cooking by boiling lowers mushroom water content only 1%, the contents per 100 grams for several nutrients increase appreciably, especially for dietary minerals.
The content of vitamin D is absent or low unless mushrooms are exposed to sunlight or purposely treated with artificial ultraviolet light, even after harvesting and processed into dry powder.[
]
Vitamin D
When exposed to ultraviolet before or after harvest, mushrooms convert their large concentrations of ergosterol into vitamin D2.
Testing showed an hour of UV light exposure before harvesting made a serving of mushrooms contain twice the FDA's daily recommendation of vitamin D. With 5 minutes of artificial UV light exposure after harvesting, a serving of mushrooms contained four times as much.[
]
The form of vitamin D found in UV-irradiated mushrooms is ergocalciferol, or vitamin D2. This is not the same as cholecalciferol, called vitamin D3, which is produced by UV-irradiation of human or animal skin, fur, and feathers. Although vitamin D2 has vitamin-D activity in humans, and is widely used in food fortification and nutritional supplements, vitamin D3 is more commonly used in dairy and cereal products.
Uses
Edible mushrooms include many fungal species that are either mushroom hunting or cultivated. Easily cultivated and common wild mushrooms are often available in Marketplace; those that are more difficult to obtain (such as the prized truffle, matsutake, and Morchella) may be collected on a smaller scale by private gatherers, and are sometimes available at farmers' markets or other local grocers. Mushrooms can be purchased fresh when in season, and many species are also sold dried.
Before assuming that any wild mushroom is edible, it should be correctly identified. Accurate determination of and proper identification of a species is the only safe way to ensure edibility, and the only safeguard against possible poisoning. Some edible species cannot be identified without the use of advanced techniques such as chemistry or microscopy.
History
Consumption of mushrooms dates to 13,000-year-old archaeological sites in Chile. Ötzi, the mummy of a man who lived between 3400 and 3100 BCE in Europe, was found with two types of mushroom in his belongings. Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece, particularly the upper classes, used mushrooms for culinary purposes. were employed by to ensure that mushrooms were safe to eat.
Culinary
Cooking
Mushrooms may be cooked before consumption to improve texture and lower trace levels of toxic hydrazines. Frying, roasting, baking, and microwaving are all used to prepare mushrooms. Cooking lowers the amount of water present in the food. Mushrooms do not go mushy with long term cooking because the chitin that gives most of the structure to a mushroom does not break down until which is not reached in any normal cooking.
Storage
Mushrooms will usually last a few days, longer if refrigerated. Mushrooms can be frozen, but they freeze best when cooked first. They can also be food drying or pickled.
In traditional medicine
Medicinal mushrooms are mushrooms or from mushrooms that are thought to be treatments for , yet remain unconfirmed in mainstream science and medicine, and so are not approved as or medical treatments.
Preliminary research on mushroom extracts has been conducted to determine if anti-disease properties exist, such as for polysaccharide-K
See also
External links
