Mushrooms are very important ingredients in both vegan or vegetarian diets and in meat-based diets, preferred by people in all parts of the world for their extraordinary variety in terms of taste texture, coloring and behavior during the cooking process. Mushrooms are cheap and readily available ingredients in almost all parts of the world, ingredients that always add a touch of elegance and sophistication to the dish they are incorporated into. A local company that distributes many varieties of a mushroom spore syringe, provides some creative recipe ideas that use mushrooms that are not so widespread.
How to Use Truffles
Whether we are looking at black truffles or white truffles, the mushrooms growing under the surface of the soil are among the most expensive and the most sophisticated delicacies in the world. A mushroom that costs thousands of dollars per pound will obviously not be made into a stew, but it will be used to add a distinct flavor and aroma to any dish that it is used in. Truffles are today used in deli products, side dishes, soups and stews mainly to serve as a source of flavoring in a way very similar to herbs, with even a very small quantity going a long way.
What Makes Matsutake so Special
Another mushroom that costs a small fortune, Matsutake is a Japanese variety appreciated for its spicy, rich flavor. Sold for over a thousand dollars per pound, what makes these mushrooms so unique is not only their distinct flavor, but also the fact that they cannot be cultivated. When used in cooking, its principal role is to serve as a spice and is often added to one-pot dishes as well as to sake.
Morels
Another very special mushroom variety, morels are much cheaper than the previous ones in our enumeration, but still pricey. Consisting of tiny, spongy, cone-shaped heads, morels can be used fresh as well as dried. They feature a characteristic, nutty flavor that makes them great main ingredients in cream sauces or components to incorporate into salads along with other, milder taste vegetables or mushrooms.
Chanterelles
These beautiful, tiny mushrooms look like delicate, frilly, golden flowers. They are excellent when sauteed, but they make great additions in soups, either in cream soups consisting of only mushrooms or featuring a variety of greens. They also go extremely well with roasted and grilled dishes, such as large chunks of red meat, adding a sophisticated, toned-down element to the robust, roasted or smoky flavor.
Enoki Mushrooms
Another great Japanese mushroom variety, Enokis are often found in Asian noodle soups and sauces. They are mild-flavored, able to soak up stronger aromas, therefore they are often soaked and simmered in soy sauce. The infused mushrooms then can be used to flavor rice dishes. They make excellent ingredients in stir-fries, stews and miso ramen, usually chopped and added at the end of the cooking process, when the dish is still very hot.
Shiitake
Asia is also the place that has given the world shiitake mushrooms. When used in fresh form, shiitakes make excellent ingredients in side dishes, when used in dried form, shiitakes practically work as herbs that add strong flavoring to any dish.