All forms of life can be classified as one of three “biota.” The ones we most associate with food are flora and fauna—plants and animals, respectively. The third—fungi—we don’t care to eat as much because we associate it with rot and decay.
But people have been eating mushrooms since the dawn of time, which is a confounding fact considering only 3% of wild mushrooms are safe for human consumption. People have been seeking out safe mushrooms because many of the ones you can eat are delicious.
There is also great diversity within that 3% and people have enjoyed mushrooms for eons. Here, we’ll take a look at some of the mushrooms that are becoming more popular in the United States and that will be sure to rear their heads (pun intended) in 2019.
Truffles
Truffles have become more commonly found on grocery store shelves, both sold whole and as products like truffle oil and in chevre goat cheese. Truffles are delicious and good for you. Truffles are commonly found in Europe, in Italy and France. There are many kinds of truffles including white truffles, black truffles, and burgundy truffles.
Truffles are anti-microbial, contain crazy anti-oxidants, and have many essential vitamins and nutrients such as magnesium, potassium, carbohydrate, dietary fiber, protein, calcium, iron, vitamin B-6, amino acids, terpenoids and sterols. They’re also very tasty and definitely worth a try.
Enokitake
Enoki mushrooms, known in Japanese as enokitake, are becoming more commonly found on supermarket shelves beyond Asian grocery stores. Besides being tasty, enoki contains antioxidants. They come in cans or whole and can be cooked in a variety of ways.
Oyster Mushrooms
One of the most common types of mushroom, the oyster mushroom is beloved on multiple continents. They, along with the other two mushrooms mentioned here, also contain ergothioneine, which is a powerful antioxidant.
Chanterelle Mushrooms
Little known fact: chanterelle mushrooms contain a chemical called “lentinan” which is available as an injection in Japan for its anti-cancer properties. Yet another compound in this fungus is called lanthionine, which supports wound healing and platelet production, and also can help in the treatment of thrombosis. On top of that, this mushroom has potent anti-cholesterol properties.
There are many more types of “’shrooms”, but we can only list so many here. Across the board, many of them contain the same nutrients, vitamins and minerals, along with a wide variety of antioxidants. So shroom it up and enjoy your fungus!
——
Chad Weisman—CEO, Golden Strands Communication; ‘creative type’; surfer on the amber waves of grain; avid concert attendee.