Friday, March 13, 2009

Edible Mushroom:Agaricus campestris

Edible Mushrooms....

Agaricus campestris



It is widely collected and edible mushroom, even by those who would not normally experiment with mushrooming. This mushroom is not commercially cultivated on account of its fast maturing and short shelf-life.Culinary uses of the meadow mushroom include sauteed or fried, in sauces, or even sliced raw and used in salads. In flavor and texture, this mushroom is almost completely identical to the white button mushrooms available in grocery stores in the United
States. Be sure to rinse well to dislodge any sand, and also watch out for small, white larvae which tunnel through the stems and caps.

Among the Similar Species mentioned below, there have been cases where the deadly toxic Destroying Angel mushroom (Amanita bisporiga) has been consumed by individuals who mistook them for this species.
Edible Mushrooms..
puffballs-lycoperdon-spp-and-calvatia.

Agaricus Bisporus










Agaricus bisporus
,as edible mushrooms also known as table mushroom, portobello mushroom, cultivated mushroom or button mushroom, is an edible basidiomycete fungus which naturally occurs in grasslands, fields and meadows across Europe and North America, though has spread much more widely and is one of the most widely cultivated mushrooms in the world. The original wild form bore a brownish cap and dark brown gills but more familiar is the current variant with a white form with white cap, stalk and flesh and brown gills.

Some grocery stores in the Western world sell this mushroom in canned and fresh preparations. An agaric, its gills are often left on in preparations. It can be found cooked on pizzas and casseroles, stuffed mushrooms, raw on salads, and in various forms in a variety of dishes. Some mycologists, including Paul Stamets, have raised concerns that this mushroom contains trace quantities of a chemical agaritine known to have carcinogenic properties, though whether
levels are sufficient to cause harm in consumers is debated.
Edible Mushrooms..
agaricus-campestris.

History of Edible Mushrooms











History of Edible Mushrooms


Mycophagy the act of consuming mushrooms, dates to ancient times. Edible mushroom species have been found in association with 13,000 year old ruins in Chile, but the first reliable evidence of edible mushroom consumption dates to several hundred years BC in China. The Chinese value mushrooms for medicinal properties as well as for food.
Ancient Romans and Greeks ate mushrooms, particularly the wealthier classes. The Roman Caesars would have a food taster taste the mushrooms before the Caesar to make sure they were safe. Mushrooms are also easily preserved, and historically have provided additional
nutrition over winter.

Many prehistoric and a few modern cultures around the world used psychedelic mushrooms for ritualistic purposes . Mushroom cultivation reached the United States in the late 1800s with imported spores from Mexico.
agaricus-bisporus.