5 Fun Food Science Facts About Mushrooms
- Mushrooms are the fruiting bodies of some fungal molds and numerous species of mushrooms are edible.
- Do not eat wild mushrooms without being certain of their identity. Some mushrooms contain potent toxins that may have extremely dangerous consequences if ingested.
- Creminis (brown button mushrooms) are a favoured mushroom throughout the world. They are actually young portobello mushrooms
- Used in traditional medicine for centuries, modern research has shown many health benefits of the biochemicals in mushrooms such as anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties.
- Whereas overcooked meat can be tough and overcooked vegetable can be mushy, it is difficult to overcook mushrooms. Overcooked meat causes tough protein structures and overcooked vegetables go soft following pectin degradation. The chitin in mushrooms is heat stable, so their texture does not change drastically when cooked.
