Varieties and Types of Edible Mushrooms
Button, Portobello, Shiitake, Crimini – Mushrooms Health Benefits
Sep 4, 2009
Mushrooms are the fruity body of fungus. There are three parts to the mushroom, the stem, gills and cap. When you consider wild mushrooms there are literally thousands of different types of mushrooms. Mushrooms are very versatile for cooking. They’re consumed raw, often with a dip or added to salads to enhance the flavor. They are also used in thousands of recipes from baking to frying. Mushrooms are also common toppings for steaks, pizza and hamburgers.
Common Types and Varieties of Cultivated Edible Mushrooms
- Button Mushrooms – also known as table mushrooms, white mushrooms or Agaricus bisporus, are the most common cultivated mushrooms. Button mushrooms are a smaller type of mushroom compared to other varieties and all parts of the button mushroom are edible. Button mushrooms have a mild flavor and often take on the taste characteristics of other cooking ingredients. Button mushrooms can be found freshly packaged at grocery stores, canned or dried.
- Portobello Mushrooms – are large and meaty, with caps around four to six inches in diameter. Matured Portobello mushrooms have a dark brown coloring. Because of their large size and meaty texture, vegetarians often use Portobello mushrooms as a meat substitute, often as burgers or other sandwiches. Grilling Portobello mushrooms are the most common method of cooking and is the best method to bring out the rich flavor.
- Shiitake Mushrooms – are a larger variety of mushrooms with a cap from two to four inches in diameter and have a brown coloring. The stem is not normally used because of the texture. Shiitake mushrooms have a spongy meaty texture with a bit of a woodsy taste. Shiitake mushrooms are popular in many Asian dishes. They are often stir fried along with other ingredients in a variety of Asian dishes. In Japan the Shiitake is used as a main ingredient in miso soup.
- Crimini Mushrooms – are similar to Button mushrooms in size and texture. They are light to dark brown in color. The Crimini mushroom is a bit more firmer than the Button mushroom and a more intense meaty and earthy flavoring. The Crimini mushroom is used in the same cooking methods as the button mushroom and is a good substitute for the button mushroom for a more intense flavoring.
Health Benefits of Mushrooms – Nutritional Values
There are some variations in nutritional values between different types of mushroom varieties. Cultivated edible mushrooms are very low in calories and have almost no fat content. Raw Button mushrooms for example only contain 15 calories in a one-cup serving (70g). Mushrooms are low in sodium and sugars and have no cholesterol. In a 1-cup serving mushrooms contain about 1 gram of dietary fiber.
Mushrooms (1 cup raw) are also a good source of protein with 2 grams or 4% of the daily value in a 2,000-calorie diet. Mushrooms have Omega 6 fatty acids but the Portobello mushroom has more Omega 3 fatty acids than most cultivated mushrooms. Mushrooms are also a good source of riboflavin, thiamin, vitamin B6 and niacin.
Mushrooms should be cleaned before they are eaten. Mushrooms will start to loose their flavor in a few days of storage and should be eaten as fresh as possible. Mushrooms have a lot of good nutritional values and would be a good addition to a healthy, balanced diet.
Sources:
mushrooms.ca
nutritiondata.com
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