Mushrooms are an excellent ingredient to add to your dish. They bring this earthy and unique flavor and chewy texture to bring your dish to a new level. There are many mushrooms, and each one has a unique flavor that can be experienced with different dishes. If you have never cooked with mushrooms before, below are their types and how you can incorporate them into your cooking.
1. Button Mushrooms
Button mushrooms are affordable with an average flavor. They do not stand out too much, but they are a great addition if you want something different with your dish for a low cost. They can be sautéed with other vegetables or mixed in with your sauces.
2. Shiitake Mushrooms
Known as a very healthy mushroom, Shiitake has a rich umami flavor when cooked. It has a strong taste that is great when added to dishes like soup or on top of pizzas. Some eat them on their own as stir-fried or even turned into chips.
3. Maitake Mushrooms (Hen of the Woods)
These mushrooms are what most people would imagine mushrooms taste like—earthy, strong, and peppery. The strong taste makes it perfect for dishes like soup, noodles, fried rice, or salads. Some people may choose to grill this mushroom and add some citrusy or salty sauce on top of it.
4. Cremini Mushrooms
Related to the button mushrooms, Cremini mushrooms taste the same except a little meatier. Their meaty taste makes them perfect for pasta, couscous stuffing, risotto, or gravy.
5. Enoki Mushrooms
These little guys are popular in Asian cuisine. They are usually cooked in bundles and have this sweeter taste to them. Their texture is almost chewy but still has a bite, making them addicting. They are typically cooked in soups and shabu-shabu or grilled alongside some barbecue.
6. Porcinis
Rich and hearty, Porcinis have a nutty sort of flavor to them. Porcinis can be added to pasta, but many people find them perfect with risotto. They hold their shape well in risotto dishes, making them an ideal match with the soft rice.
7. Portobello Mushrooms
The biggest and most mature of their cousins (button and cremini), they are the strongest in taste among the three. They have a rich umami flavor that makes them easy to work with. Due to their cap size, one dish that you can make is stuffed Portobello mushrooms. This makes a great appetizer that almost everyone will enjoy.
8. Morels
These mushrooms are luxurious and one of the most sought-after mushrooms globally. Unlike most mushrooms, they have a more subtle taste that leans toward nutty. Their spongy texture also makes them a great addition to food. Morels are a great addition to most pasta sauces or salads.
9. King Oyster Mushrooms
These mushrooms are named appropriately because their stems resemble oysters both in look and texture. They have an intense umami flavor that most people just enjoy eating alone. They taste amazing grilled with a sweet glaze.
10. Oyster Mushrooms
These mushrooms are called so because their caps resemble oysters in the wild. They have delicate and complex flavors unique to them and cannot be tasted in other mushrooms. They are a great addition to pasta and risotto but are best eaten sautéed or pan-fried.
Conclusion
Depending on the flavor that you like and your cooking style, you can choose the type of mushroom you will use for your dish. There are many other varieties of mushrooms out there that are not listed here. If you are interested in cooking with mushrooms, experiment with the different types and see what you like.
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