Fun with fungi: A 5-Minute Expert guide to mushrooms

By Las Vegas Sun Staff (contact)

Sunday, June 26, 2016 | 2 a.m.

Technically, mushrooms are the fleshy, spore-bearing bodies of fungi (yuck!), but boy are they delicious. They’re also fat-free, cholesterol-free and low in calories and sodium, yet they pack a ton of protein, fiber and nutrients. Many are antioxidants, too. But not all mushrooms are created equal. Many are poisonous (so be wary of wild foraging); some can be bought for pennies, while others run as high as $2,700 a pound; a few are for grilling, and a few more for delicate garnishing. Here, we outline the origin, uses, flavors and costs of the mushrooms you’ll commonly see in stores and on menus.

• Button

Button, or white, mushrooms are the most popular variety and represent about 90 percent of the mushrooms eaten in the United States. They are mild and versatile and can jazz up nearly any dish.

Cost: $

Flavor: Mild, intensifies when cooked

Preparation: Sauté, roast, eat raw

Menu ideas: Vast — salads, pizzas, pastas, quesadillas, cheeseburgers, stir-fries, casseroles

• Chanterelle

These trumpet-shaped wild mushrooms resemble an inverted umbrella with ridges instead of gills. They range in color from bright yellow to orange and have a fruity apricot scent. They tend to grow in clusters in mossy birch forests as well as in grasses and low-growing herbs. They are high in vitamins C and D and potassium.

Cost: $$$

Flavor: Rich, nutty and woodsy

Preparation: Sautée in butter and garlic, roast

Menu ideas: Salads, risottos, sauces; in scrambled eggs; pair well with roast chicken

• Cremini

Creminis are marketed as baby portobellos but are actually more mature button mushrooms. Their caps typically are light to rich brown, and they have a firmer texture.

Cost: $

Flavor: Deep and earthy with umami qualities

Preparation: Sauté, broil, microwave

Menu ideas: Pair well with beef, wild game, vegetables and red wine

• Enoki

These tiny, spindly mushrooms resemble bean sprouts and grow naturally on the stumps of several trees, including the Chinese Hackberry, called “enoki” in Japanese. The mushrooms are high in antioxidants, and the stems contain a large amount of protein.

Cost: $$$$

Flavor: Mild, sweet and crunchy

Preparation: Raw, use as a garnish

Menu ideas: Salads, sandwiches, soups; pair well with miso and tofu

PRO TIP: Be sure to trim the roots at the base of the enoki cluster and separate the stems before serving; when shopping, choose enokis that are as white and firm as possible.

• Maitake

Also called Hens of the Woods, maitakes form large, fan-shaped mushroom heads that often fuse together in masses at the bases or on the roots of broadleaf trees. The mushrooms have a robust, meaty flavor but are more delicate than shiitake mushrooms.

Cost: $$$

Flavor: Distinctive with a rich, woodsy taste

Preparation: Sauté lightly in butter or oil

Menu ideas: Crostinis, soups, stews; also used medicinally to treat cancer, diabetes and hepatitis, and to relieve the side effects of chemotherapy and HIV/AIDS

• Morel

These wild, cone-shaped mushrooms have a distinctive honeycomb appearance with a complex pattern of ridges and pits. They are a cousin to the truffle. The darker the mushroom, the more pronounced its flavor. Yellow morels are most commonly found under deciduous trees, while black morels tend to favor oak and poplar trees.

Cost: $$$$

Flavor: Smoky, earthy and nutty

Preparation: Sauté; must be cleaned well because of its dimpled head; cut lengthwise for easy dirt removal

Menu ideas: Sauces, side dishes; pair well with roasted or grilled meats and poultry, white wine

• Oyster

The oyster mushroom gets its name from its appearance, not its flavor. The caps of the squat, fluted fungi grow directly on trees, meaning they typically have no stem. They come in a variety of colors, including yellow, pink and blue, and are a good source of niacin, thiamine, riboflavin, folate and fiber.

Cost: $$

Flavor: Delicate and velvety

Preparation: Sauté with butter and onions to bring out flavor; when shopping, look for mushrooms with firm, dry skin

Menu ideas: Pastas, warm salads; best prepared simply so as not to overpower its understated flavor

• Porcini

Flat, thick-stemmed porcinis can be small (1 inch in diameter) or large (10 inches in diameter) and can weigh from a couple of ounces to 1 pound each. The gills underneath are white when fresh and young, and turn yellow as the mushroom ages. Smaller mushrooms have a more intense flavor. Fresh porcini mushrooms are not as widely available in the United States as they are in Europe, but dried porcinis are relatively easy to find.

Cost: $$$$

Flavor: Smooth and earthy with a meaty texture

Preparation: Fry, grill, sauté

Menu ideas: Pastas, pizzas, stews; pair well with fish and thyme

• Portobello

Portobello mushrooms are the most mature of the button/cremini family. Their caps can grow up to 6 inches wide, and their long growing cycle gives them a deep, meat-like flavor and texture. They are high in vitamin D and potassium, and contain a large amount of antioxidants.

Cost: $

Flavor: Savory and meaty

Preparation: Grill, broil, roast; be sure to trim the dry, fibrous portion of the stem

Menu ideas: A wonderful alternative to meat in appetizers and dishes; serve whole as “burgers” on toasted buns.

PRO TIP: If you plan to use them in a recipe that includes a liquid or sauce, scrape the gills off before cooking to keep the sauce from turning black.

• Shiitake

The wide, umbrella-shaped caps of these mushrooms can grow up to 10 inches in diameter and have open veils and gills. The mushrooms are indigenous to Korea and Japan. The Japanese grade shiitakes on a scale of three: donko (high, with thick, firm caps), koko (intermediate) and koshin (low, with flat, thin caps). Koshin grow faster and are the more commonly cultivated strain.

Cost: $$

Flavor: Rich and woodsy with a fleshy texture

Preparation: Sauté, broil, bake; not recommended raw; remove the stem before preparing

Menu ideas: Adds a meaty flavor and texture to stir-fries, pastas, soups, entrees and side dishes; stems are tough but are good chopped for stocks and sauces.

• Truffle

Called the “diamond of the kitchen,” truffles are rare and highly prized. As such, they are extremely expensive. Specially trained dogs and pigs are used to find truffles, which grow underground near poplar, beech, oak, birch, hornbeam, pine and hazel trees. Black truffles are less pungent and less expensive than white truffles.

Cost: $$$$$

Flavor: Musky and sweet

Preparation: Shave and use sparingly, preferably raw

Menu ideas: Pastas, salads, pâtés; pair well with meat, fowl

Hallucinogenic ’shrooms

While certainly edible, these mushrooms are not a smart choice for pizza. Psilocybin mushrooms, or magic mushrooms, pack a powerful hallucinogenic punch that can leave a person tripping for hours. The mushrooms contain psychotropic tryptamines that, similar to LSD, distort the senses and alter perception. Despite being illegal to use in the U.S., psilocybin mushrooms are one of the most widely used recreatitonal drugs, largely because they are inexpensive and fairly accessible. Their use dates back thousands of years, and many cultures continue to ingest them for medicinal or ceremonial purposes. There are lots of varieties: At least 144 species of mushroom contain the psychoactive ingredient psilocybin, according to the International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms.