From roasted maitake to savory soup, it’s time for the magic of mushrooms
The world is awash in fungi, more than 5 million species, some microscopic, others enormous.
There are fungi that digest toxic waste, including heavy metals, rendering them harmless. Certain fungi are used to make paper, clothing and accessories, to dye yarn and cloth and to feed other species, including humans.
Edible fungi - aka mushrooms and truffles - make up less than 5 percent of the world's fungi. Another 1 percent are fatal if eaten. Not quite 200 species are psychoactive, producing moderate hallucinations. The rest are inedible, don't taste good or make you sick.
Most of the mushrooms we eat are fruit, sent up from an underground lace-like web known as the mycelium. Perhaps you've come across it while gardening and wondered, “What is this, a decaying handkerchief?”
Healthy soil, especially when not tilled, typically contains mycelium, which serves an interesting purpose, beyond its fruit: It provides a means of communication between trees, like underground telephone wires, a topic that is fascinating in its own right. One tree, for example, can let its neighbors know, via this lacy web, that it needs nutrients or that it has some to share. Mycelium is one of the great wonders of nature.
As fall sets in and the first rains dampen our forest floors and the mycelium therein, mushrooms begin poking through the piles of leaves and other debris that has collected since the last fruiting. North Bay foragers prepare for the hunt, heading out to gather porcini, one of the first to appear. Soon come the golden chanterelles, hedgehogs, the fragile shaggy mane, lion's mane, black chanterelles and, in early spring, the beloved morel, which is often found in abundance along fire lines.
But here's a secret: Gourmet Mushrooms, producers of high-quality specialty forest mushrooms established in Sebastopol in 1977, has developed a cultivated morel that could be released before the end of the year.
Test batches are underway, said Justin Reyes, head of sales and marketing for the company. The mushroom will be available commercially once quality and quantity are consistent. Gourmet Mushrooms is also developing lion's mane and sparassis, the elusive cauliflower mushroom, named for its appearance, not its flavor.
Once best known for their pioneering efforts with the shiitake, the company no longer grows its inaugural mushroom. A number of years ago, they developed a technique of growing mushrooms in special reusable jars, a method that does not work for the shiitake. By then, there were many sources in the United States for what had become a very popular mushroom. They also discontinued a few other species, such as the Pom Pom Blanc, that could not be grown in this way.
This new method has a smaller environmental footprint, with less waste than previous techniques. Since 2005, all of their mushrooms have been certified both organic and kosher. Once the wood-based substrate on which the mushrooms are grown is exhausted, it is turned into highly prized compost used by local farmers and wineries.
The company's current edible mushrooms include Alba Clamshell, Brown Clamshell, Forest Nameko, Trumpet Royale, Velvet Pioppini, Nebrodini Bianco and Maitake Frondosa. They are widely available, including at markets throughout Sonoma County. Gift baskets and Mushroom Modules - growth kits with lesson plans designed for teachers - are available at the company's web site.
Gourmet Mushrooms recently purchased a facility in Michigan, which allows them to expand production, something not possible in Sebastopol, where they still have their original location on Frei Road as well as their main facility on Highway 116, adjacent to Merry Edwards Winery. The company grows a large number of mushrooms in addition to those sold on the fresh market; these species are sold to producers of nutriceuticals, a growing market.
Sonoma County, in part because wild mushrooms thrive here and in part because Gourmet Mushrooms is located here, is regarded as a pioneer in the specialty mushroom market, and we have long appreciated these gifts of the forest. But it has only been in the last few years that much of the rest of the country has discovered both the delicious and nutritious side of mushrooms.
The market for specialty mushrooms and mushroom products is enjoying a growth spurt, like the forest floor after an autumn rain.
Both vegetarians and vegans appreciate them, and their interest has spawned a new industry: mushroom jerky. Two local companies, Jewels of the Forest, founded in 2017; and Sporgy, established this year, are selling their flavored mushroom jerky online and at local farmers markets.
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