A mushroom is not a plant, it’s a fungus!

The word "mushroom" is most often applied to the fungi that have a stem, a cap, and gills or pores on the underside of the cap.

Mushrooms do not undergo photosynthesis, but instead go through three steps of growth in soil

Cultivated mushrooms and common field mushrooms initially form a minute fruiting body, referred to as the pin stage

Then, they slightly expand to the button stage Once such stages are formed, the mushroom can

rapidly pull in water from the soil and grow to its mature size.

There are many varieties of edible mushrooms grown commercially, including whites, crimini, and portabella.

Other cultivated species are now available at many grocers including shiitake, maitake or hen-of-the-woods, oyster, and enoki

Crimini

Portabella

White mushroom

ShiitakeOyster mushroom

Mushrooms are known as the meat of the vegetable world because they are fairly dense and some, like the portobello, can have a meaty flavor

They have a fleshy texture and can usually take on other flavors of the dish very well

o Mushrooms can be disguised to look like meat!

Portabella mushroom!

They are frequently used in Chinese, Korean, European, and Japanese cuisines

Mushrooms are very versatile. They can be steamed, sautéed, grilled, stuffed, baked, and even eaten raw

They are often added to salads and pasta dishes for extra nutrition and flavor

Raw mushrooms are a good source of B vitamins, such as riboflavin, niacin and pantothenic acid, and the essential minerals, selenium, copper and potassium.

They are very low in calories, but very nutrient dense, so they are excellent to consume if dieting

Be careful! There are many varieties of mushrooms that are poisonous

Eating mushrooms gathered in the wild is risky and should not be undertaken by individuals not knowledgeable in mushroom identification

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/fungi/label/mushroom/labelanswers.GIF

http://www.google.com/search?q=crimini+mushroom&hl=en&safe=active&um=1&tbm=isch&tab=wi

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/images/20090730-dt-portobello-mushroom-burger.jpg

http://www.vitaminsforlife.co.uk/userfiles/image/shiitake-mushrooms1.jpg http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/JPEG%27S/Mushroom%20Images/

OysterGills.jpg http://thecookmobile.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/

spinachstirfry500.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mushroom