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Markets stock a variety of cultivated mushrooms, but many people prefer
wild mushrooms, which are often more
flavorful. Be careful when picking wild mushrooms--some species
are poisonous--and always cook them thoroughly, both to release their
flavors and to convert their proteins into a more usable form. To
prepare fresh mushrooms, first trim off the bottoms of the stems, then
wipe them off. Don't rinse them or soak them, for they'll absorb water and turn mushy when you cook them. Dried mushrooms
are often excellent substitutes for fresh, though some species don't dry
well. You can reconstitute dried mushrooms by soaking or simmering
them. Don't throw
out the soaking liquid--it can add more flavor to your sauce than the
mushrooms themselves. You can also pulverize dried mushrooms
with a food processor or blender, then use the mushroom powder to flavor
sauces and stews. |
Substitutes: tempeh OR eggplant OR asparagus (Like
mushrooms, this works well in a cream soup.) OR bell peppers (in a pasta sauce)
OR zucchini
Equivalents: 1 pound fresh mushrooms = 6 cups sliced fresh mushrooms = 3 ounces dried
mushrooms
Varieties:
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abalone cap mushroom |
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bear's head mushroom = satyr's beard mushroom = bearded
tooth mushroom Latin: Hericium erinaceus
Notes: These grow yellow and sour-tasting with age, so
buy only white ones. They're best sautéed or gently boiled. |
black forest mushroom
black mushroom
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black trumpet mushroom = black chanterelle Notes:
This is a very choice, flavorful mushroom. Dried black trumpets are
excellent, too. Substitutes: chanterelle OR hedgehog mushroom |
black winter mushroom
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blewit mushrooms = blewitt mushrooms = blue-leg mushrooms =
blue foot mushrooms = bluette
mushrooms Pronunciation: BLEW-it Latin name: Clitocybe
nuda Notes: These are prized more for their
beauty than their flavor, which is pleasant but somewhat mild. Dried blewits are
even less
flavorful than fresh. Substitutes: white mushrooms OR
shiitakes |
bolete
borowik
brown mushroom
brown oak mushroom
button mushroom
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cauliflower mushroom Notes: These
are very flavorful, but a bit chewy. They're good fried, or in soups
or stews. Select small, young-looking heads.
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chanterelle = egg mushroom
= girole = pfifferling Equivalents: 1
pound fresh = 3 ounces dried. Notes:
Chanterelles are a whole family of mushrooms, most of which are quite
choice, but the name is most often applied to the golden chanterelle =
yellow chanterelle. These yellow mushrooms are highly prized for
their exquisite flavor, color, and texture. Other tasty
chanterelle varieties include the yellow
foot chanterelle, which is less meaty and less flavorful than other
varieties, the black trumpet mushroom, and the white
chanterelle, which is similar to the golden chanterelle, but lighter
in color. Fresh chanterelles are best; dried or canned
chanterelles are less flavorful and tend to have a rubbery
texture. Substitutes: hedgehog mushroom OR white
mushroom OR oyster mushroom OR ear mushroom OR morel
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chestnut mushroom |
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chicken-of-the-woods mushroom = sulfur
mushroom Notes: This got its name
because it has the texture of cooked chicken. You can sauté it or, if you
want to make mock chicken, simmer it in chicken stock. Substitutes:
portobello mushrooms OR cremini mushrooms OR shiitake mushrooms OR
porcini mushrooms |
Chinese black mushroom
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cinnamon cap mushroom Notes:
Cinnamon cap mushrooms have a firm texture and an earthy
flavor. Substitutes: shiitake
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clamshell mushroom = clam shell mushroom Notes:
Varieties include the brown clamshell mushroom (left). This
mushroom goes well with seafood or meats. Cook them before eating.
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cloud ear mushroom = cloud ear fungus =
mo-er mushroom Notes: It's hard to find
these fresh, but dried cloud ears are an excellent substitute.
Reconstitute them by soaking or simmering them in lots of water for a few
hours. Substitutes: wood ear
mushrooms
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cremini mushroom = crimini mushroom = Italian brown
mushroom = Italian mushroom = brown mushroom Notes:
These are closely related to common white mushrooms, but they're a bit
more flavorful. Large cremini mushrooms are called portobello
mushrooms. Substitutes: white
mushroom OR portobello (larger and more flavorful) OR shiitake |
egg mushroom
enok
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enoki mushroom = enok = enokidake = enokitake = golden
needle mushroom = golden mushroom = snow puff mushroom = velvet foot mushroom =
velvet stem mushroom = winter mushroom Pronunciation: eh-NO-kee
Notes: Enoki mushrooms have a delicate fruity
flavor. They're usually served raw. Substitutes: oyster mushroom
OR white mushroom |
enokidake
enokitake
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eryngii mushroom = eringii mushroom = king oyster mushroom
Substitutes: matsutake
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fairy-ring mushroom Substitutes: white mushrooms OR
chanterelles
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forest mushroom
funnel chanterelle
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gamboni mushroom = big leg mushroom |
girole
golden chanterelle
golden mushroom
golden needle mushroom
golden oak mushroom
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hawk's wing mushroom |
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hedgehog mushroom = sweet tooth mushroom
Notes: Hedgehog mushrooms are similar to chanterelles in
color and flavor. Substitutes:
chanterelles OR porcini |
honey mushroom Substitutes: shiitake OR hedgehog
mushroom
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huitlacoche = cuitlacoche = corn smut = maize mushroom = maizteca mushroom
= Mexican truffle Notes: This is a fungus that forms black kernels on ears of corn in damp weather. It's a prized delicacy in Mexico, and tastes a bit like wild mushrooms. You can get it fresh or frozen by mail order, or canned in some Hispanic markets. WARNING: May cause contractions in pregnant women.
Substitutes: morel mushrooms OR squash blossoms |
Italian brown mushroom
Italian mushroom
king bolete
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lobster mushroom Notes:
These are actually white mushrooms that have been coated by a red
fungus. |
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maitake mushroom = hen-of-the-woods mushroom = ram's head
mushroom = sheep's head mushroom = kumotake mushroom Notes:
This Japanese mushroom is reputed to have numerous health
benefits. It also has a nice, earthy flavor. Substitutes:
oyster mushrooms (a close relative) |
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matsutake mushroom = pine mushroom Notes:
These are popular in Japan, but they're hard to find fresh in the United States
and dried matsutakes aren't nearly as flavorful. Avoid canned matsutakes,
they're even worse than dried. Substitutes:
portobello (especially for grilling) OR shiitake |
mo-er mushroom
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morels Equivalents: 1 pound = 2 - 3 ounces
dried Notes: Morels are highly prized for
their rich, earthy flavor, and also because their caps are hollow, which
allows them to be stuffed. Dried morels are very flavorful,
and they're an excellent substitute for fresh in sauces and
stews. Substitutes: shiitake OR chanterelles
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nameko mushroom Pronunciation:
NAH-meh-koh
Notes: Nameko mushrooms are hard to find fresh, but
Asian markets sometimes stock cans or plastic bags of it. They have a
gelatinous texture and the Japanese like to add them to miso soup. Substitutes: shiitake |
Oriental black mushroom
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oyster mushroom = tree oyster mushroom = pleurotus
mushroom = pleurotte = abalone mushroom Notes: Oyster
mushrooms are prized for their smooth texture and subtle, oyster-like
flavor. They can also be grown commercially, so they're widely
available and fairly inexpensive. Substitutes: white
trumpet OR enoki OR chanterelle OR white mushroom (takes longer to cook)
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paddy straw mushroom
pfifferling
pine mushroom
pleurotte
pleurotus mushroom
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pom pom mushroom = lion's mane mushroom = beard mushroom Notes:
The flavor of this mushroom has been likened to that of lobster and
crab. Substitutes: porcini
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Polish mushroom
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puff ball mushroom = puffball mushroom |
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porcino = cepe = cep = bolete = king bolete = borowik =
Polish mushroom = steinpilze = stensopp Plural: porcini
Pronunciation: singular: pore-CHEE-noh;
plural: pore-CHEE-nee Equivalents: One pound
fresh = 3 ounces dried Notes: Porcini
mushrooms are well appreciated in Europe for their meaty texture and
interesting flavor. If you can find them fresh, pick the largest
caps you can find (or afford). Just wipe them clean before using; if
you wash them, they'll soak up the water like a sponge. Dried porcini are
also excellent. Substitutes:
hedgehog OR chanterelle (fruitier flavor) OR portobello OR
oyster mushrooms OR truffles
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portobello mushroom = portabello mushroom = giant
cremini Notes: These are just large cremini
mushrooms, and their size (about the same as a hamburger patty) makes them
perfect for grilling or roasting. They're also more flavorful than
younger, smaller creminis. Substitutes: cremini
(smaller) OR matsutake (for grilling) OR porcini (for grilling) |
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red oyster mushroom Notes:
This beautiful mushroom, unfortunately, loses its red coloring when
cooked. Substitutes: oyster mushrooms OR button
mushrooms OR shiitake mushrooms |
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shiitake mushroom = shitake mushroom = black forest
mushroom = black mushroom = black winter mushroom = brown oak mushroom = Chinese
black mushroom = Oriental black mushroom = forest mushroom = golden oak mushroom
= donko Equivalents: 1 pound = 3 ounces
dried. Pronunciation: she-TAH-kay Plural:
shiitake Notes: Though shiitake mushrooms
are now cultivated, they have the earthiness and flavor of wild
mushrooms. They're large and meaty, and they work well in
stir-fries, soups, and side dishes, or as a meat substitute. Dried
shiitakes are excellent, and often preferable to fresh due to their more
intense flavor. Soak them in water for about thirty minutes to
reconstitute them, then use the water they soaked in to enhance your
sauce. Substitutes: crimini
mushrooms OR enoki mushrooms OR straw mushrooms OR chanterelles OR porcini
mushrooms OR white mushrooms OR oyster
mushrooms |
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shimeji mushroom = pioppini mushroom Notes:
Like matsutake mushrooms, these grow on trees. They're very tasty,
with a peppery flavor. They're great in stir-fries. Substitutes:
matsutake mushrooms
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shitake mushroom
silver ear mushroom = snow mushroom =
white fungus = white jelly fungus = white tree fungus Substitutes:
cloud ear mushroom OR wood ear mushroom (less expensive)
snow mushroom
snow puff mushroom
steinpilze
stensopp
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St. George's mushroom
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straw mushrooms = paddy straw mushrooms Notes:
These are a common ingredient in Chinese stir-fries. They're hard to find
fresh, but canned straw mushrooms work well and are sold in many
supermarkets. Better yet, but harder to find, are dried straw mushrooms,
which have a more intense flavor than canned. Substitutes: enoki
mushrooms OR white mushrooms
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sweet tooth mushroom
tree ear mushroom See wood ear mushroom.
tree oyster mushroom
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truffles Notes: Truffles are one of the most
expensive of the fungi (technically, they're not mushrooms), but they're packed
with flavor. You can grate raw truffles into salads, or chop and sauté
them and use them to flavor sauces. Their flavor is complex, so truffles
work best in delicately flavored dishes like cream sauces. Truffles
are highly perishable, so you should plan to use them within a few days after
buying them. To preserve them, add slices of them to bourbon, then
use the bourbon and truffle pieces to flavor sauces. Fresh truffles
are often sold in containers filled with rice. Don't throw out the
rice--it was put there to absorb some of the truffle's exquisite
flavor. Substitutes: morels OR porcini
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trumpet royale mushroom Notes: This is a tasty, meaty
mushroom. Substitutes: shiitake OR porcini
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velvet foot mushroom
velvet stem mushroom
white button mushroom
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white chanterelle mushroom Notes:
White chanterelles are very similar to golden chanterelles, except for
their color and relative rarity. Fresh chanterelles are best; dried or canned
chanterelles are less flavorful and tend to have a rubbery
texture. Substitutes: chanterelle OR hedgehog
mushroom |
white fungus
white jelly fungus
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white mushroom = button mushroom = white button
mushroom = supermarket mushroom Notes: These
are the mushrooms you're most likely to find in supermarkets.
They're good raw, but more flavorful if cooked. Substitutes: cremini mushrooms (more
flavorful than white) OR oyster mushroom (cooks faster) |
white tree fungus
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winecap mushroom = wine-cap mushroom |
winter chanterelle
winter mushroom
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wood ear mushroom = woodear mushroom = black fungus = tree ear mushroom Notes: Chinese markets carry
fresh or dried pieces of this tree mushroom. You're supposed to soak
or simmer the dried chips until
they soften, and then rinse them carefully to remove any dirt. They're not
very flavorful, but they have an interesting texture and are believed to have
medicinal benefits. Substitutes:
cloud ear mushroom (thinner) OR silver ear (more expensive) OR shiitake
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yellow chanterelle
yellow foot chanterelle
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yellow foot mushroom = yellow
foot chanterelle = funnel chanterelle = winter chanterelle Notes:
Though not as flavorful as golden chanterelles, these mushrooms work well
in most chanterelle recipes. Substitutes: chanterelle OR hedgehog mushroom |
Copyright © 1996-2005 Lori Alden
