Mushrooms

Although we consider mushrooms as vegetables in a culinary sense, they are actually fungi and are classified in a separate kingdom to plants. This is due to their cellular organisation and that they survive by decomposing organic materials. They are popular worldwide, are often used as a meat substitute in vegan and vegetarian dishes due to their dense, meaty texture, and are commonly used in East Asia for their medicinal properties. Some wild mushrooms can be poisonous and are not fit for consumption, however, mushrooms are edible both raw and cooked, although raw mushrooms may be hard to digest.

There are many different types of mushroom, the most popular being button, oyster, shiitake, Portobello and truffle.

Button are the most common type of mushroom and the least mature. They are white, small in size and have a high water content compared to other more mature varieties.

Oyster mushrooms have a delicate texture and mild flavour. They are especially popular in Chinese, Japanese and Korean cooking and are often dehydrated as they can be used dried due to their ability to naturally soak up liquid.

Shiitake mushrooms are brown in colour and most popularly used in Chinese cuisine. Like oyster mushrooms, they can be both dried and fresh. Dried have a strong, earthy aroma whilst fresh have no smell and a tender texture.

Portobello are the largest and most mature mushroom variety, they are brown in colour and often used for stuffing and grilling due to their size.