Edible mushroom

Edible mushroomsare thefleshyfruit bodiesof numerous species ofmacrofungi(fungithat bear fruiting structures large enough to be seen with the naked eye). Edibility may be defined by criteria including the absence ofpoisonouseffects on humans and desirabletasteandaroma. Mushrooms that have a particularly desirable taste are described as "choice". Edible mushrooms are consumed for theirnutritionalandculinaryvalue. Mushrooms, especially driedshiitake, are sources ofumamiflavor.
To ensure safety, wild mushrooms must be correctlyidentifiedbefore their edibility can be assumed. Deadlypoisonous mushroomsthat are frequently confused with edible mushrooms include several species of the genusAmanita, particularlyA. phalloides, the death cap. Some mushrooms that are edible for most people can causeallergic reactionsin others; old or improperly stored specimens can go rancid and causefood poisoning.Additionally, mushrooms can absorb chemicals within polluted locations,accumulatingpollutants andheavy metalsincludingarsenicandiron—sometimes in lethal concentrations.
Several varieties of fungi containpsychedeliccompounds—themagic mushrooms—while variously resembling non-psychoactivespecies. The most commonly consumed forrecreational useareAmanita muscaria(the fly agaric) andPsilocybe cubensis, with the former containing alkaloids such asmuscimoland the latter predominatelypsilocybin.
Edible mushrooms include many fungal species that are eitherharvested wildorcultivated. Easily cultivated and common wild mushrooms are often available inmarkets; those that are more difficult to obtain (such as the prizedtruffle,matsutake, andmorel) may be collected on a smaller scale and are sometimes available atfarmers' marketsor other local grocers. Despite long-term use infolk medicine, there is noscientific evidencethat consuming "medicinal mushrooms" cures or lowers the risk of human diseases.
Mushrooms can appear either below ground (hypogeous) or above ground (epigeous) and can be picked by hand.Edibility may be defined by criteria including the absence ofpoisonouseffects on humans and desirabletasteandaroma.Edible mushrooms are consumed for theirnutritionalandculinaryvalue. Mushrooms, especially driedshiitake, are sources ofumamiflavor.
Mushroom cultivationhas a long history, with overtwenty speciescommercially cultivated. Mushrooms are cultivated in at least 60 countries.A fraction of the many fungi consumed by humans are currently cultivated and sold commercially. Commercial cultivation is important ecologically, as there have been concerns of the depletion of larger fungi such aschanterellesin Europe, possibly because the group has grown popular, yet remains a challenge to cultivate.
Some mushrooms, particularlymycorrhizalspecies, have not yet been successfully cultivated.
In 2019, world production of commercial mushrooms and recordedtrufflecollection reported to theFood and Agriculture Organizationwas 11.9 milliontonnes, led by China with 75% of the total:
Some wild species aretoxic, or at least indigestible, when raw.Failure to identify poisonous mushrooms and confusing them with edible ones has resulted in death.Although in the 21st century primitive digital applications exist to aid with identification, these are unreliable and some inexperienced hunters relying upon them have been seriously poisoned.
Deadly poisonous mushrooms that are frequently confused with edible mushrooms and responsible for many fatal poisonings include several species of the genusAmanita, particularlyAmanita phalloides, the death cap. Some mushrooms that are edible for most people can causeallergic reactionsin some individuals with no prior knowledge of an allergy; old or improperly stored specimens can go rancid quickly and causefood poisoning. Great care should therefore be taken when eating any fungus for the first time, and only small quantities should be consumed in case of individual allergies or reactions. Even normally edible species of mushrooms may be dangerous, as certain mushrooms growing in polluted locations can act as chemical-absorbers,accumulatingpollutants andheavy metals, includingarsenicandiron, sometimes in lethal concentrations.On the other hand, some cooking preparations may reduce the toxicity of slightly poisonous mushrooms enough to be consumed as survival food, for example, many prized fungi will cause gastric upset when eaten uncooked, such as theMorchellagenus.
Additionally, several varieties of fungi are known and documented to containpsychedelicdrugs—the so-calledmagic mushrooms—yet resemble perfectly edible, non-psychoactivespecies. While not necessarily lethal to consume, to the uninitiated, an accidentally induced psychedelic experience can run the gamut from benign to terrifying, even depressing or psychotic. The most commonly consumed for recreational psychoactive use areAmanita muscaria(the fly agaric) andPsilocybe cubensis, with the former containing alkaloids such asmuscimoland the latter predominatelypsilocybin. Both have the potential to induce in the user feelings of awe, wonder with nature, interesting visual hallucinations and inner peace (even in mild doses), but excessive or accidental consumption can create feelings of insanity, helplessness and fear, usually persisting for a few hours.
Higher mushroom consumption has been associated with lower risk ofbreast cancer.As of 2021, mushroom consumption has not been shown to conclusively affectrisk factors for cardiovascular diseases.
A commonly eaten mushroom is thewhite mushroom(Agaricus bisporus). In a100-gram (3+1⁄2-ounce) reference serving,Agaricusmushrooms provide 92 kilojoules (22 kilocalories) offood energyand are 92% water, 3%carbohydrates, 3%protein, and 0.3%fat. They contain high levels ofriboflavin,niacin, andpantothenic acid, with moderate content ofphosphorus(see table). Otherwise, raw white mushrooms generally have low amounts ofessential nutrients. Although cooking by boiling lowers mushroom water content only 1%, the contents per 100 grams for several nutrients increase appreciably, especially fordietary minerals.
The content ofvitamin Dis absent or low unless mushrooms are exposed tosunlightor purposely treated with artificialultraviolet light, even after harvesting and processed into dry powder.
When exposed toUV lightbefore or afterharvest, mushrooms convert their large concentrations ofergosterolintovitamin D2.This is similar to thereaction in humans, wherevitamin D3is synthesized after exposure to sunlight.
Testing showed an hour of UV light exposure before harvesting made a serving of mushrooms contain twice theFDA'sdaily recommendationof vitamin D. With 5 minutes of artificial UV light exposure after harvesting, a serving of mushrooms contained four times as much.Analysis also demonstrated that naturalsunlightproduced vitamin D2.
The form of vitamin D found in UV-irradiated mushrooms isergocalciferol, or vitamin D2. This is not the same ascholecalciferol, calledvitamin D3, which is produced by UV-irradiation of human or animal skin, fur, and feathers. Although vitamin D2has vitamin-D activity in humans, and is widely used infood fortificationandnutritional supplements, vitamin D3is more commonly used in dairy and cereal products.
Edible mushrooms include many fungal species that are eitherharvested wildor cultivated. Easily cultivated and common wild mushrooms are often available inmarkets; those that are more difficult to obtain (such as the prizedtruffle,matsutake, andmorel) may be collected on a smaller scale by private gatherers, and are sometimes available atfarmers' marketsor other local grocers. Mushrooms can be purchased fresh when in season, and many species are also sold dried.
Before assuming that any wild mushroom is edible, it should be correctlyidentified. Accurate determination of and proper identification of a species is the only safe way to ensure edibility, and the only safeguard against possible poisoning. Some edible species cannot be identified without the use of advanced techniques such as chemistry or microscopy.
Mycophagy(/maɪˈkɒfədʒi/), the act of consuming mushrooms, dates back to ancient times. Edible mushroom species have been found in association with 13,000-year-old archaeological sites inChile.Ötzi, themummyof a man who lived between 3400 and 3100 BCE in Europe, was found with two types of mushroom. The Chinese value mushrooms for their supposed medicinal properties as well as for food.Ancient RomansandGreeks, particularly the upper classes, used mushrooms for culinary purposes.Food tasterswere employed byRoman emperorsto ensure that mushrooms were safe to eat.The Forme of Cury, a 14th-century compilation of medieval English recipes, features a recipe of mushrooms and leeks cooked in broth.
Mushrooms may be cooked before consumption to improve texture and lower trace levels of toxichydrazines. Frying, roasting, baking, and microwaving are all used to prepare mushrooms. Cooking lowers the amount of water present in the food. Mushrooms do not go mushy with long term cooking because thechitinthat gives most of the structure to a mushroom does not break down until 380 °C (716 °F) which is not reached in any normal cooking.
Mushrooms will usually last a few days, longer if refrigerated. Mushrooms can be frozen, but are best cooked first. They can also bedriedorpickled.
Medicinal mushrooms are mushrooms orextractsfrom mushrooms that are thought to be treatments fordiseases, yet remain unconfirmed in mainstream science and medicine, and so are not approved asdrugsormedical treatments.Such use of mushrooms therefore falls into the domain oftraditional medicinefor which there is no directhigh-quality clinical evidenceof efficacy.
Preliminary research on mushroom extracts has been conducted to determine if anti-diseaseproperties exist, such as forpolysaccharide-Korlentinan.Some extracts have widespread use in Japan, Korea and China, as potentialadjuvantsforradiation treatmentsandchemotherapy.