Top 5 Unusual Mushrooms You Can Buy at the Supermarket
4.8.2023 13:58
Let’s face it. Most people are only familiar with the popular Portobello or button mushrooms they see at the grocery store. However, they fail to realize that there are various types of mushrooms waiting to be eaten and explored with different recipes.
While some fresh mushrooms are edible with nutty or sweet flavors, others taste like lobster, making them a great meat substitute. Others come in handy for medicinal purposes to lower blood pressure, boost immunity, diminish cholesterol levels, and alleviate cancer symptoms.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the most popular grocery store mushrooms, how to use them, and much more. Read on!
1. Button
Also known as champignon, able, table, and cultivated mushrooms, button mushrooms have two color states; brown and white. Both are named differently. When a button mushroom is fully mature, it’s known as Portobello, whereas the white button is the immature variant and is white.
It’s also the subtlest-tasting and most common type of mushroom. 90% of the mushrooms we consume belong to this category. While you have free rein to eat button mushrooms raw, they are usually diced into bite-size chunks and used as pizza toppings, spaghetti sauces, and other dishes such as stews, salads, and soups. If you gravitate towards button mushrooms, you can save extra bucks by growing them indoors or in your backyard.
2. Cremini
Also known as Roman brown, Swiss brown, chestnut brown, immature and brown, and classic brown mushrooms, Cremini refers to a young Portobello mushroom. You can also find them at your local grocery store as a baby Portobello mushrooms and are closely similar to the white button species.
Therefore, it doesn’t come as a surprise that the Cremini mushroom and White Button mushrooms are interchangeable and can be used on pizza, soups, salad, and stew or consumed in their raw form.
Nevertheless, it’s worth noting that although white button mushrooms and Cremini mushroom varieties are similar in shape, they differ in size and color. While Cremini has a light shade of brown, white button mushrooms are darker and slightly bigger.
3. Portobello
Also known as Open Cap and Field mushrooms, Portobello has the same width as that of the palm of your hand. These species are denser in texture and have a bold flavor compared to other types of mushrooms.
In Italy, they’re used in pasta and sauces and make an excellent meat substitute. Furthermore, if you want the perfect substitute for a bread bun, the mushroom’s flat cap is your holy grail. The puffy caps are best suited for stuffing and grilling.
4. Shiitake
Also known as Black, Brown Oak, Golden Oak, Forest, Black Winter, Black Forest, Donko, and Chinese Black, Shiitake mushrooms go by different names. Predominantly grown in Korea, Japan, and China, it’s doesn’t come as a surprise that these species are a staple in most Asian cuisines. In the Japanese culture, Shiitake means ‘oak fungus.’ Nonetheless, most Shiitakes are cultivated in the US and other parts of the globe.
They have a subtle, woody aroma and flavor, whereas their dried counterparts are more intense. In addition, Shiitake mushrooms have a meaty and savory flavor, making them an ideal substitute in meat dishes for vegetarians and vegans. They infuse mouth-watering goodness into meat dishes such as sauces and soups.
5. Oyster
Also known as Abalone, Tree Oyster, Pleurotte, and Pleurotus, oyster mushrooms are typically found growing in the wild, on the sides of trees. Nowadays, they’re the most commonly cultivated edible mushrooms across the globe and readily available in nearly all grocery stores.
The King Trumpet mushroom is the largest of the oyster mushroom genus. These species are a breeze to cook and infuse a sweet yet subtle flavor into a boatload of sautéed or stir-fried dishes. Compared to other species, oyster mushrooms are consistently thin and therefore cook more evenly.
While some fresh mushrooms are edible with nutty or sweet flavors, others taste like lobster, making them a great meat substitute. Others come in handy for medicinal purposes to lower blood pressure, boost immunity, diminish cholesterol levels, and alleviate cancer symptoms.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the most popular grocery store mushrooms, how to use them, and much more. Read on!
1. Button
Also known as champignon, able, table, and cultivated mushrooms, button mushrooms have two color states; brown and white. Both are named differently. When a button mushroom is fully mature, it’s known as Portobello, whereas the white button is the immature variant and is white.
It’s also the subtlest-tasting and most common type of mushroom. 90% of the mushrooms we consume belong to this category. While you have free rein to eat button mushrooms raw, they are usually diced into bite-size chunks and used as pizza toppings, spaghetti sauces, and other dishes such as stews, salads, and soups. If you gravitate towards button mushrooms, you can save extra bucks by growing them indoors or in your backyard.
2. Cremini
Also known as Roman brown, Swiss brown, chestnut brown, immature and brown, and classic brown mushrooms, Cremini refers to a young Portobello mushroom. You can also find them at your local grocery store as a baby Portobello mushrooms and are closely similar to the white button species.
Therefore, it doesn’t come as a surprise that the Cremini mushroom and White Button mushrooms are interchangeable and can be used on pizza, soups, salad, and stew or consumed in their raw form.
Nevertheless, it’s worth noting that although white button mushrooms and Cremini mushroom varieties are similar in shape, they differ in size and color. While Cremini has a light shade of brown, white button mushrooms are darker and slightly bigger.
3. Portobello
Also known as Open Cap and Field mushrooms, Portobello has the same width as that of the palm of your hand. These species are denser in texture and have a bold flavor compared to other types of mushrooms.
In Italy, they’re used in pasta and sauces and make an excellent meat substitute. Furthermore, if you want the perfect substitute for a bread bun, the mushroom’s flat cap is your holy grail. The puffy caps are best suited for stuffing and grilling.
4. Shiitake
Also known as Black, Brown Oak, Golden Oak, Forest, Black Winter, Black Forest, Donko, and Chinese Black, Shiitake mushrooms go by different names. Predominantly grown in Korea, Japan, and China, it’s doesn’t come as a surprise that these species are a staple in most Asian cuisines. In the Japanese culture, Shiitake means ‘oak fungus.’ Nonetheless, most Shiitakes are cultivated in the US and other parts of the globe.
They have a subtle, woody aroma and flavor, whereas their dried counterparts are more intense. In addition, Shiitake mushrooms have a meaty and savory flavor, making them an ideal substitute in meat dishes for vegetarians and vegans. They infuse mouth-watering goodness into meat dishes such as sauces and soups.
5. Oyster
Also known as Abalone, Tree Oyster, Pleurotte, and Pleurotus, oyster mushrooms are typically found growing in the wild, on the sides of trees. Nowadays, they’re the most commonly cultivated edible mushrooms across the globe and readily available in nearly all grocery stores.
The King Trumpet mushroom is the largest of the oyster mushroom genus. These species are a breeze to cook and infuse a sweet yet subtle flavor into a boatload of sautéed or stir-fried dishes. Compared to other species, oyster mushrooms are consistently thin and therefore cook more evenly.