There are 10,000 different types of mushrooms we know about so far, but who’s counting?
Most Americans are used to the unassuming button mushroom–Agaricus bisporus was first cultivated on horse manure in France in the 1700s and now makes up 90 percent of all the mushrooms we eat. But there are thousands of mushrooms we know about, so far. Here are some of the more popular varieties you’ll see in markets and on plates.
Enoki
Lovely, long and white, cultivated enoki are used in Japanese cuisine, notably in soups. Generally eaten raw or barely cooked.
Shiitake
Native to East Asia and used beyond the kitchen, Shiitake are widely believed to have medicinal uses as well.
Morels
With their distinctive tall honeycombed app, morels are easy to identify, even though they come in a range of colors, from pale beige to gray. Morels are still harvested wild.
Porcini
Popular in Italian cooking, porcini are used fresh or dried and add a deep, nutty flavor to a dish.
Oyster
Yes, they look like oysters growing horizontally from a tree. Some say they have a vaguely oyster-like taste. They’re generally eaten cooked and are popular in Korean, Japanese and Chinese cooking.
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