Fungi, the name for mushrooms in most other parts of the world, taste good, are good for you, are completely vegan, and totally necessary for the perpetuation of life on Earth. As well, carefully prepared fungi can give you taste thrills like no other vegetable. For example, among the varieties currently available are chanterelles, creminis, porcinis, oysters, morels, shiitakes, maitakes, and portobellos. Thus, most of the edible wild varieties have been cultivated to satisfy gourmet demands. If you haven't as yet tried shiitakes, those meaty and rich-tasting mushrooms that were first cultivated in Japan hundreds of years ago, they are now more readily available.
Fresh shiitakes come in four grades.
Tough shiitake stems are always discarded before cooking. They must be flash frozen to be handled properly. But believe me, they are worth every penny. Be careful, these can be addicting for gourmet vegans. Use porcinis in risotto, soups, and tomato sauces for a deep forest taste you can never duplicate with button mushrooms.