Learn All About Mushroom Popularity

Many people order mushrooms in restaurants because they are delicious. Many others are aware of how nutritious mushrooms are and wouldn't waste an opportunity of including them in their meals at least twice a week. Mushrooms are a good source of B-vitamins and a low-calorie source of fiber, proteins, and antioxidants. In this article, we'll highlight why mushrooms have grown in popularity over the past years, but first, let's look at existing mushroom varieties in the market today.

Some of the most popular commonly grown mushroom varieties that you'll find in the market or stores today include:

● White button mushrooms
● Crimini mushrooms
● Portobello mushrooms
● Oyster mushrooms
● Beech mushrooms
● Maitake mushrooms
● Critake mushrooms
● King trumpet mushrooms
● Shiitake mushrooms
● Wine cap mushrooms

The Best Mushrooms for Cooking

All the mushrooms listed above are edible, but people's preferences differ. Crimini and king trumpet mushrooms are some of the mushrooms most people prefer because of their meaty texture. At the same time, Shiitake has a more delicate texture, making them complement each other well for a delicious meal.

The Easiest Mushrooms to Grow

The easiest to grow mushrooms include Shiitake, wine cap, and oyster mushrooms. Oyster mushrooms are easy to grow because they do well in all kinds of substrates, including coffee grounds which can be sourced for free from local coffee shops and cafés. They can also grow indoors all year round, and even beginners do not find a hard time growing oyster mushrooms.

Shiitake mushrooms can easily be grown outdoors on logs kept under shades and continue to fruit daily after the first flush. They can be grown on sterile sawdust or pasteurized straw when grown indoors. Just like oyster mushrooms, they can also grow all year round indoors.

Winecap mushrooms grow in the ground, making them ideal for growing outdoors. They spread fast and hardy, unlike their counterparts. They thrive on a wide range of substrates, including wood chips, straws, and sawdust.

Now let's take a look at some of the general benefits of mushrooms.

Mushrooms Are Highly Nutritious

Mushrooms are rich in vitamins B1, B2, B9, B3, and B12. From this list, it's easy to note that the only essential vitamins lacking in mushrooms are B6 and B12. The B-Vitamins found in mushrooms play crucial roles in our bodies, including red blood cell formation, free radical elimination, DNA synthesis, and neural tube closure in the first trimester of pregnancy.

In addition, mushrooms contain vitamin D. Vitamin D is essential in maintaining bone strength and prevents rickets in children and osteoporosis. However, when shopping for mushrooms from your food stores, look for packs marked UVB, which indicate that the mushrooms have been grown outside under direct sunlight. Some varieties are a good source of linoleic acid and selenium, which are essential building blocks of the body.

Mushrooms Are Easy to Grow

As discussed above, some of the nutritious and delicious varieties of mushrooms are not labor intensive to grow and grow on substrates that are easy to acquire.

Good for the Soil

Mushroom species like the Winecap mushroom that grow in the ground are beneficial to the soil because they break down organic matter and break down pathogens in the soil.