Mushrooms are the

White Mushroom or
Button Mushrooms (when small)
History/Origin
 Ancient Egyptians, 4600 years ago, believed that
mushrooms were the plant of immortality.
 Pharaohs of Egypt decreed mushrooms were
food for royalty and that no commoner could ever
touch them.
 France was the leader in the formal cultivation of
mushrooms. Mushrooms were grown in special
caves near Paris.
 In the late 19th century, mushroom
production made its way across the
Atlantic to the United States.
Chanterelle
Botanical
Enoki
 Mushrooms are the ‘fruit’ of the fungi.
 Mushrooms are unable to convert sunlight into
energy via photosynthesis. They draw
their energy from living or dead organic matter.
 Tree mushrooms are decay fungi. They recycle
dead wood, consuming it for nutrients.
 Mushrooms come in many colors:
white to gray, reddish, pinkish, bluish,
greenish, and yellow to brown.
Portobello
largest of the commercially available
mushrooms; mature version of the
Cremini or Baby Portobello
 Mushrooms are a
Nutritional Powerhouse!
 They are a hidden treasure of
nutrition, high in B-vitamins
and antioxidants.
 Of the fruits and vegetables,
mushrooms are the
only ones with vitamin D.
 These fungi contain no cholesterol,
almost no fat, and very few calories.
Nutrition
Chicken of the Woods
Hen in the Woods
Maitake or Sheepshead
one of the most popular
wild mushrooms
 Wild Chicken of the Woods tastes
like chicken breast meat; Hen in the
Woods tastes more like the brown
meat (legs and thighs).
 A single oak tree can yield as much
as 100 pounds of Maitake/Hen of
the Woods in one season.
 Maitake means “dancing mushroom.”
It’s not that the mushroom itself dances,
but the mushroom hunter lucky enough
to find Maitake is inspired to dance
happily at the discovery!
Fun Facts