The Magic of Edible Mushrooms
Happy Spring, this is a time where we start to see rebirth, growth and warmer weather. We also start to see more rainy days and dampness; an environment where mold and fungus thrive! These organisms often get a bad rap, but not all fungi are created equal. Mushrooms are a type of fungus that are used in several different ways like adding them to your favorite dishes or mixing in your morning coffee; some are even labeled as delicacies and infused into olive oils for flavor (i.e. truffles)! Some mushrooms have been in the spotlight for providing potential benefits such as assisting in stress adaptation, decreasing inflammation, immune system support and even nerve regeneration. When pacing the aisles of your local grocery store you may see white button mushrooms, shitake mushrooms and portabella mushrooms but did you know there are SO MANY MORE types of edible mushrooms that are not usually sold in grocery store? To find mushrooms in your area, look for local mushroom farms online or visit your local farmers markets. You can even grow mushrooms in your kitchen with mushroom growing kits!
Mushroom Basics?
Mushrooms are a type of fungus that grow from the ground, bugs, plants or decaying matter. The visible mushroom (also known as the fruiting body) that you see when hiking on a trail is not the whole organism, there is a network of mycelium (a white webbing that the mushrooms begin from) underneath the fruiting body that can span from a few feet to a few miles in spread underground.
Lions Mane (aka Pom Pom)
Where: Lions mane can be found during the late summer and early fall months grown on hard decaying woods such as maple, birch, oak and black walnut.
Benefits: It has antioxidant properties, has been used in Asian medicine for treating stomach ulcers and may help regenerate nerves! (More research is needed but this mushroom is looking promising for the future of medicine!)
Flavor profile: lobster or crabmeat when sauteed with butter (oil) and garlic.
Turkey Tail
Where: Grows on dead decaying hardwood or wounded living hardwoods (oak and maple) during the fall months.
Benefits: This mushroom has been used traditionally in Japanese medicine for an immune strengthener during cancer treatments. An active compound found in the Turkey Tail mushroom has been approved in Japan as a complimentary treatment for cancer. (This is for informational purposes only and I am not claiming that Turkey Tail mushrooms can cure cancer).
Flavor Profile: Earthy and bitter
Chaga
Where: Grows in cold climates on living Birch trees in northern Europe, Asian, Canada and Alaska. (4)
Benefits: Chaga has shown to have anti-inflammatory properties, which can be beneficial for a population of people that tend to live in a constant state of mild inflammation. In short term experiments conducted on mice, Chaga extract had anti-cancerous properties (6). (I am not saying Chaga is a alternative therapy for treatment of cancer, more research is needed and this was tested on mice not humans).
Flavor Profile: Earthy and bitter
Oyster Mushrooms
Where: In forests on the stumps of dead and decaying trees such as Aspen, Birch, Willow and Oak (8).
Benefits: According to an article written by Ram Naraian, the fruiting body of Oyster mushrooms have higher antioxidants than other commercial mushrooms (7). Antioxidants are important for us because they neutralize free radicals, which is a fancy way of saying antioxidants protect our cells from DNA damage due to unstable molecules (free radicals).
Flavor Profile: Mild, similar to the flavor of white button mushrooms.
Look for these types of mushrooms at your local farmers market, mushroom farm or specialty grocery stores! Do not try mushrooms out in the wild; some edible mushrooms can have poisonous look-a-likes. Mushrooms are also being sold on the shelves in the nutritional supplement aisle s teas, powders and coffee. Please keep in mind that supplements are not regulated with the same laws that food is and the label may not match what is actually in that supplement bottle. Be a smart consumer and always consider a whole food first approach.
For more information on smart supplement shopping, download our FREE PDF to use as a guide at the store!
Quick Tip!
Do not wash your mushrooms until you are ready to use them. Mushrooms have a high-water content and washing them before storing them in the fridge can invite harmful bacteria and fungus to grow.
Store mushrooms in a paper bag in the refrigerator.
Do not pick wild mushrooms for consumption unless you are certain they are an edible kind. Beware that some edible mushrooms can have poisonous look-a-likes and should be identified by a professional!
(Photo by Katie Fischer taken on a hike in Wisconsin) *The mushroom above is not an edible mushroom; used for visual purposes only.
