Fungilicious

Written by Brianna Santamaria

Important note: Do not consume any mushroom that cannot be readily identified

Of Mushrooms and People

Mushrooms: delectable treasures or deadly tragedies? Divine remedies or destructive rogues? Symbols of opulence or a mark of poverty? Since the beginning of civilization cultures have grappled with their perception of these inscrutable organisms. In the 1751 edition of Encyclopédie, French Philosopher Denis Diderot famously wrote: “Whatever dressing one gives to them, to whatever sauce our Apiciuses put them, they [mushrooms] are not really good but to be sent back to the dung heap where they are born.” Meanwhile, in ancient China, mushrooms were lauded for centuries by people and poets alike for their medicinal and agricultural uses.

Why have mushrooms been a contentious subject throughout history? And how have we gone from “sent back to the dung heap” to Martha Stewart showing us 27 different ways to cook mushrooms? While the answer to the latter question is because they are absolutely delicious, the former question will take some traversing into what makes mushrooms either our friend or foe. And, even though in my opinion mushrooms are god’s greatest culinary gifts, for the sake of brevity we will address the second question by discussing mushroom foraging and innovations in agriculture that have made it possible for these delicious treats to be enjoyed around the world.

If you are interested in how the historical perceptions of mushrooms in different cultures changed through time, I highly recommend the book Mushroom: A Global History by food historian Cynthia Bertelsen. It is a short and interesting read and, in my opinion, a great starting point for anyone interested in the culinary history of mushrooms.

Delectable Treasures or Deadly Enemies?

According to a recently published review, of the 14,000 known mushroom species only 1/7th of them can be safely eaten through standard cooking or specific preparation methods. The reason why some mushrooms can be eaten without a second thought and others can send you to an early grave is because of the absence or presence of special toxins (aptly named mycotoxins).

Why do mushrooms create mycotoxins? As with most questions regarding the nature of organisms, the answer is complex. Very rarely do questions such as “Why does an organism do this thing” have one simple reason. In the case of mycotoxins, the leading hypothesis is that they are produced to combat reactive oxygen species or ROS. ROS are molecules that cause harm by wreaking havoc inside the cells. To make an analogy, ROS are the cellular equivalent of releasing a bull in a china shop. These molecules are why many health blogs rave about the antioxidant properties of superfoods such as quinoa. Antioxidants keep the body healthy by reducing the amount of ROS present in cells. To make another terrible analogy, we can think of mycotoxins as the quinoa of the fungal kingdom. 

All mushrooms, including edible varieties, produce antioxidants but some have the unfortunate side effect of being extremely toxic to us. This has led scholars in the past to look at toxic mushroom species with disdain and call them ‘toadstools’ in disgust. The reality is these organisms are just surviving as any other would. 

To Forage or not to Forage?

I spent a significant portion of my master’s thesis in the Czech Republic where a popular activity every fall is to go out and pick mushrooms. These mushrooms are sometimes breaded and fried to make a tasty dish known as “smažené žampiony”. The Czech people, along with many other cultures around the world, have been following the tradition of mushroom foraging for centuries. In the past people mainly foraged for mushrooms to sustain them through harsh seasons and to supplement low-protein diets (more on this in Mushroom: A Global History, Chapter 2). Nowadays with the advent of more reliable field guides and increased interest in ‘getting back to nature’, mushroom foraging has become a popular hobby enjoyed by amateur mycologists and culinary enthusiasts alike.

With the ever-increasing amount of foragers we have to consider what sort of environmental impact foraging has. In 1975, a group of researchers in Switzerland conducted a long-term study on the effects of mushroom picking on mushroom abundance. Over the 29 year study period, the researchers found that harvesting had a negligible effect on the amount of mushroom and mushroom species found in their study areas. This suggests that harvesting does not negatively affect mushrooms. However, overharvesting may still be a concern and for that reason, some national parks and forests have restrictions on the amount of mushrooms individuals can take from an area. Some regions even require special licenses to harvest mushrooms.

When done responsibly, mushroom foraging can be a fun and delicious activity. Before you start, however, it is vitally important to 1) have a reliable identification key, 2) double-check any species you are uncertain of, and 3) follow the guidelines and laws on mushroom foraging enforced by local governments in your given area.

The Art of Mushroom Growing

For the less nature-inclined individuals, supermarkets are stocked full of mushroom varieties available all season round. There is no doubt that advances in mushroom cultivation have re-dug mushrooms from the dung heap and brought them to the fridges of many modern homes. According to mycologist Shu-Ting Chang in his book The Chinese Mushroom (Volvariella volvacea), mushroom cultivation likely first started in ancient China with the cultivation of wood ear mushrooms (Auricularia heimuer). Centuries later, French mycologists would develop methods to commercially grow white button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) in quarries around Paris. Since then, growers have experimented with a variety of mushroom species to give us the large array of mushrooms found in markets today.

Mushrooms grow surprisingly easy as long as you provide the right conditions. Most of the usual mushroom varieties found in markets require: 1) spores (more on how mushrooms grow in our Introduction post of this series), 2) a cool, and/or humid environment, and 3) the correct material, or substrate. These conditions can be easily replicated in your house’s basement (if you have one) or any room in which you can easily control the climate. Growing mushrooms is so simple that sometimes people unintentionally grow them in their houses. All you have to do is check out r/BathroomShrooms on Reddit to get an idea of how easy it is to accidentally cultivate mushrooms in your house. Modern agricultural techniques have allowed us to reliably replicate these conditions on a larger scale to grow mushrooms commercially. Today researchers are focused on recycling food waste and other types of waste produced by agriculture and animal husbandry to use as substrates for mushroom cultivation.

Fungilicious

If you are looking for ways to ride out the cold chill of fall, then perhaps it is time to experiment with mushrooms in your cooking. These delicious gifts of nature can be enjoyed in a creamy risotto, as a hearty pasta, a warming stew, or any other dish to lift your spirits this fall and provide essential nutrients. Mushrooms are high in protein and fiber and low in fat and calories. They can serve as excellent substitutes for fatty meats which are much higher in calories. Additionally, they are rich in essential vitamins (B, C, and even D!) and minerals (iron for those gains and phosphorus for your bones and teeth). Recent research has even shown that some mushrooms have anti-cancer and anti-viral properties and can help maintain cardiovascular and immune system health. Whether you choose to (responsibly) forage in nature or a market, the result will be fungilicious.

References

1) Wang, Yun-Chang. Mycology in ancient China. Mycologist 1.2. 1987; 59-61.

2) Li H, Tian Y, Menolli N, et al. Reviewing the world’s edible mushroom species: A new evidence-based classification system. Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf. 2021; 20: 1982–2014. https://doi.org/10.1111/1541-4337.12708

3) Reverberi M, Ricelli A, Zjalic S, Fabbri AA, Fanelli C. Natural functions of mycotoxins and control of their biosynthesis in fungi. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2010 87(3):899-911. doi: 10.1007/s00253-010-2657-5. Epub 2010 May 22. PMID: 20495914.

4) Egli S, Peter M, Buser C, Stahel W, Ayer F. Mushroom picking does not impair future harvests – results of a long-term study in Switzerland. Biological Conservation. 2006. 129(2): 271-276.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2005.10.042

5) Chang, Shu-Ting. The Chinese Mushroom (Volvariella volvacea): Morphology, cytology, genetics, nutrition and cultivation. Hong Kong, 1972.
6) Kumar, K.; Mehra, R.; Guiné, R.P.F.; Lima, M.J.; Kumar, N.; Kaushik, R.; Ahmed, N.; Yadav, A.N.; Kumar, H. Edible Mushrooms: A Comprehensive Review on Bioactive Compounds with Health Benefits and Processing Aspects. Foods 2021, 10, 2996. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10122996
7) Bertelsen, Cynthia D. Mushroom: A global history. Reaktion Books, 2013.