all about mushrooms

Once upon a time, the white button mushroom was pretty much the only fresh mushroom available. Today, there are many new mushroom varieties on sale at your local greengrocer, farmers market and supermarket. From delicate white buttons to rich morels, all the fresh and dried mushroom varieties add unrivalled flavour and texture to your meals.

White mushrooms (agaricus bisporus), first grown in caves near Paris in the 1600s, are the most popular mushroom variety in the western world. In Australia, 98% of mushrooms consumed are agaricus. They’re loved for their versatility and variety of flavour as they mature – it’s the same mushroom just picked at different stages. Remember, if the specific one you’re looking for isn’t available, other sizes can substitute

Buttons (also called Champignons) are the youngest and generally (but not always) the smallest. The name refers to their shape and stage of growth, not the size. The cap of the button mushroom is always tightly closed around the stem. They have a firm, delicate texture and mild flavour that intensifies when cooked. Suitable to eat raw or cooked, they’re great whole or sliced in salads, stir-fries, skewered and barbecued or simply served with dips.

Cups represent the next stage of growth. As the veils or caps begin to open around the stems, the mushrooms change from being buttons to cups. The texture is firm but their flavour and colour is more intense. Cup mushrooms are best sliced, diced or quartered and cooked to obtain maximum flavour. Known as the versatile mushrooms, they’re suitable to all cooking methods and highly rated in soups, sauces and casseroles.

Flat mushrooms, as their name suggests, have caps opened out flat, exposing the rich, dark gills. Small flats are sometimes known as breakfast mushrooms. Medium-sized flats are sometimes known as barbecue mushrooms (although any mushroom is great on the barbie). Jumbo flats are the large version and a recent addition to the mushrooms on offer. These beauties can be a meal in themselves.

Flat mushrooms should not be confused with field mushrooms, although their appearance and flavour are similar. Flats have an intense, robust, almost ‘meaty’ flavour, with a dense, spongy texture slightly softer than cups and buttons. Like cups, flats are best served cooked. Try roasting or barbecuing them whole. Sliced, they make sensational tempura and diced they produce the most intense colour and flavoured soup, tapenade and sauce.

Swiss brown (also known as Cremini and Honey Brown) are closely related to white agaricus. Similar in shape and size, they have a stunning tan-brown cap. Their flavour is more intense and earthier, and their texture is firmer, with less moisture content, so they hold their shape well when cooked. They’re delicious marinated for an antipasto plate or slice and dice them and add to pasta, pilafs, risottos, pies or curries.

Portobello (also known as Portabella or Giant Cremini) are Swiss browns left to grow a little longer so they open out flat, exposing their deep, dark, fragrant gills. Rich, firm and flavoursome, portobello make a great burger, sandwich or pizza base, and are superb grilled, roasted or barbecued.

Specialty mushrooms continue to grow in popularity in Australia, as our diverse cuisine exposes the unique flavour, texture and colour they can add to enrich our everyday menu. Varieties include:

Oyster (also known as Pleurotus or abalone) are named after their fluted, oyster-shell shape. Found naturally on rotting tree stumps and fallen trees, they’re common throughout North America, Asia and Europe. Numerous species/varieties are available in Australia, with varied colour, texture and flavour. Species range from pearly-white to yellow, pink, grey-brown and purplish-brown.

Oyster mushrooms are best cooked quickly over high heat. More versatile than other specialties, they team well with seafood, chicken, veal and pork. You can also add them to soups and noodle dishes, or crumb them and deep-fry for a sensational starter. Oyster mushrooms are more perishable than other varieties, use within 1–2 days of purchase.

Preparation: Use whole, sliced or diced, depending on the size.

Shimeji (also known as Pioppini, Beech or Hon-Shimeji) is a Japanese variety that grows naturally on fallen oak, beech and elm trees. Of the many shimejii varieties, only one is cultivated in Australia. They’re a vision of beauty to see grown, as they develop in tight bunches joined at the base of the stems. The stems are almost white, with small brown-grey caps that become paler as the mushroom matures. Sold in clumps, shimeji have a delicate, mildly sweet, nutty flavour. Add them to stir-fries, sauces, Asian-style soups, broths and noodle dishes.

Preparation: Trim the stems and separate the mushrooms before cooking.

Enoki (also known as Enokitake or Winter) are cultivated in Australia now, as Japanese cultivators developed growing methods to produce this flower-like mushroom in bunches. Beige to white in colour, they have long, thread-like edible stems topped with a tiny button cap. When eaten raw, they have a firm crisp texture and mild fruity flavour. Enoki is one of the essential ingredients in shabu shabu, the famous Japanese hot pot. Enjoy them raw in salads, sandwiches or rice paper rolls, or try adding them to soups, omelettes or risottos just before serving.

Preparation: Trim about 2cm from the base and separate carefully.

Wood Ear (also known as black or white fungus, Cloud Ear or Tree Ear) are now cultivated fresh in Australia, previously they were only available in a dried form that required reconstituting. Wood ear are an essential ingredient in all Asian cooking. Although they have very little flavor, they’re used mainly for their colour and firm, gelatinous texture. Use them in soups or stir-fry style dishes.

Preparation: Slice into small pieces so they’re easy to chew and digest.

Chestnut mushrooms are one of the oldest species in the world, first cultivated by the Ancient Greeks. More difficult to cultivate than some of the other species, their popularity has steadily grown and now they’re in constant demand. Chestnuts have a light brown cap that sits open on the end of a slender, long, creamy-coloured stalk. Their texture is firm and their flavour strong. They’re delicious sautéed with butter, garlic and thyme, and served on toast or teamed with eggs, pasta or rice. Low in moisture, chestnuts are perfect choice for dips, pates, breads and pizzas.

Preparation: Trim a tiny piece of the end stalk and use whole or chopped.

King Brown (also referred to as King Oyster, Royal Trumpet and King Trumpet) is a new species cultivated in Australia. Also known as eryngii, the king trumpet mushroom is one of the largest species of the genus pluerotus (oyster mushroom family). It’s called the ‘king’ because of its regal stout form, short gills and thick tender stem. King browns have a long shelf-life and robust flavour, from the top of the cap to the base of the stem. They team well with white and red meat, seafood, pasta and rice.

Preparation: Trim the base and thinly slice lengthways or dice the whole mushroom.

Shiitake (also known as oak, Chinese black and black forest) were first cultivated in China, in about AD 1100, and were later introduced to Japan, where they were cultivated on the shii tree from which their name is derived. Now cultivated in Australia, their broad, brown-to-black umbrella-shaped caps house fine tan gills underneath. Their stems are slender and woody. Fresh shiitake have a delicate earthy flavour that intensifies the longer they’re cooked. Match shiitake with stronger flavoured meats such as duck, venison or aged beef. They’re known as the mushroom for longevity, due to their numerous medicinal properties.

Preparation: Trim and remove the tough leathery stalk. Slice or dice the cap.

Pine mushrooms get their name because they commonly grow under pine trees. They’re also known as milky saffron, as they exude a milky orange sap when cut. Pines pop up in summer to autumn, after warm sunny days and a good downpour. While their vibrant saffron-coloured cap, gills and stems adds colour to any dish, their flavour won’t let you down, either. They have a firm texture and a full, roasted nut flavour perfect with fresh pasta and egg based dishes.

Field mushrooms or agaricus campestris (not pictured), generally appear in autumn. They look similar to a flat mushroom but they have pink gills that become darker in colour as they age. It’s very difficult to distinguish the poisonous ones from the non-poisonous,so they’re best purchased from a market.

Slippery jack (not pictured), like pine mushrooms, is a wild variety gathered in forests. The dark brown cap of a slippery jack has a sticky honey-like substance on the top and a honeycomb-looking underside.

Blewitt mushrooms (not pictured) are also known as a blue leg mushrooms. They’re easily identified by the blue-to-purplish-blue streaked stem, topped with a smooth, light brown cap. A pleasant aroma is released from the dense white flesh when cut. Their earthy flavour is well suited to slow cooking in casseroles, stews and soups.

Dried mushrooms

Agaricus mushrooms, the common white variety, are sometimes dried at button stage. Like all dried mushrooms, they reconstitute in warm water. Whole mushrooms take up to 30 minutes, sliced mushrooms need up to 10 minutes.

Chanterelles are popular edible wild mushrooms in Europe and North America. They’re a family of mushrooms, but the name often refers to golden or yellow chanterelle. Chanterelles are trumpet-shaped and have a strong apricot smell. Soak for 15–20 minutes in warm water.

Black fungus and white fungus, also known as Cloud, Wood, Tree or Silver Ear, are used primarily to add a special texture to Asian dishes, and are available dried (and occasionally fresh) from Asian and gourmet food shops. Soak for 15–30 minutes in warm water. Drain well and pat dry with paper towel, then cook quickly over high heat for a crisp texture.

Shiitake or Black Chinese mushrooms.are intensely flavoured and ideal for Asian dishes. Soak in warm water for up to 30 minutes. Strain the soaking water and add to the dish to intensify the flavour.

Cepe mushrooms (also known as Cepe, Cep, Bolete and King Bolete) are gathered in Europe during the northern autumn and sold dried. Porcini is one of the most popular of the cepes. Soak for 15 minutes in warm water. Add to casseroles or stews at the start of the cooking process.

Morels are European wild mushrooms with a hollow, honeycomb-like caps and a spongy texture. Rinse or wipe dried morels before soaking for 15–20 minutes. Morels have a rich, earthy flavour and are best used in sauces and slow-cooked dishes.

Truffles

This edible fungus, not technically a mushroom, grows at the roots of specially inoculated oak trees, at 5cm–30cm below the ground.

Most truffles are imported, although there have been more than 50 black truffle plantations established around Australia.

Truffles are a prized possession and used sparingly in fresh pasta, risotto and egg dishes, where their flavour can dominate. Other uses include thinly slicing and covering in olive oil to infuse the oil, which is then drizzled over the dish just before serving or at the table. Highly perishable, use fresh truffles within 1–2 days of purchase.

Mushrooms: a umami experience
Umami is a taste sensation the Japanese define as distinct from sweet, salty, bitter and sour – it’s the fifth taste. It imparts a robust, savoury and meaty flavour.

This basic flavour enhancer is produced by the presence of the chemical compound, free glutamate. Glutamate, a glutamic acid and one of the most abundant amino acids in food, is to umami what sodium chloride (table salt) is to saltiness.

Glutamate is abundant in mushrooms, placing them high on the umami scale. Their “meaty” flavour and texture explains why they so successfully stand in for meat in vegetarian dishes.

Umami doesn’t end with glutamate. The compounds ribonucleotides work synergistically with glutamate to heighten “umami-ness”. Mushrooms are perfect partners for meats, poultry and fish, because their glutamate complements certain ribonucleotides in protein foods.

Some mushrooms contain significant amounts of both glutamate and the ribonucleotide guanylate, further amplifying the “meaty” umami sensation.