What Is Your Favorite Mushroom (health, soup, butter, buy)

[freepelican]

For me, it's shiitakes! I could eat them several times a week.

[lubby]

Portabella but I like all varieties of mushrooms. I could eat saute'd mushrooms all by themselves.

[elnina]

Truffles ... lol

Nah... when I was living overseas I used to hunt for mushrooms, usually late Summer, early Fall. Wonderful, relaxing activity!
Now, I am getting mushrooms from the store and the selection is very poor here. Actually most of the times there are only champignons and portobello ( "old and mature" champignons )
I don't care for champignons, they are tasteless IMO. But I will buy Portobello.
I love wild mushrooms, and when I have a chance I buy chanterelles, morels, and oyster mushrooms. (pretty rare in our stores)
My favorite are porchino, butter mushroom, bay bolete, hedgehog, and red pine mushroom. I buy them dry in my homeland
I like Asian mushrooms like Shi-taki, enoki, mu err, and wood ear mushrooms for the different texture.

[Dirt Grinder]

Porcini - nothing like fresh porcini, and I love fresh morels.

[brokencrayola]

Morels are my favorite.

[Woodrow LI]

I never met a Mushroom I didn't like. When I was a kid used to find the bolete and Puff balls in the woods. Only ones I knew for certain were safe to eat and easy to identify. I later found out that to some people the Boletes are slightly toxic and cause stomach cramps in some people.

Later I became a bit of a Mushroom fanatic. still am. My favorite will be whatever I find in the stores.

I have been getting numerous dehydrated types in the Asian Market in Fargo. When soaked water they are quite good especially the "White Fungus" It is similar to what we used to call "Wood ears"

[freepelican]

Originally Posted by Woodrow LI

I never met a Mushroom I didn't like. When I was a kid used to find the bolete and Puff balls in the woods. Only ones I knew for certain were safe to eat and easy to identify. I later found out that to some people the Boletes are slightly toxic and cause stomach cramps in some people.

Later I became a bit of a Mushroom fanatic. still am. My favorite will be whatever I find in the stores.

I have been getting numerous dehydrated types in the Asian Market in Fargo. When soaked water they are quite good especially the "White Fungus" It is similar to what we used to call "Wood ears"

I'm glad you mentioned this. I've been thinking about keeping some dried mushrooms on hand for when I can't get fresh. How is the texture after they are reconstituted? I usually end up sauteing/stir frying or making a quick soup so I was thinking the texture might be okay for this type of cooking.

[Woodrow LI]

Originally Posted by freepelican

I'm glad you mentioned this. I've been thinking about keeping some dried mushrooms on hand for when I can't get fresh. How is the texture after they are reconstituted? I usually end up sauteing/stir frying or making a quick soup so I was thinking the texture might be okay for this type of cooking.

With the Shiitakes and wood oysters I can not twll the reconstituted from the fresh in terms of Texture. However, I cooked with them after soaking.

The "White Fungus" I have cut ou in salads uncooked and the texture is slightly more chewy than the fresh. But when cooked I can't tell the difference from fresh.

I have found they need to be soaked about twice as long as the directions call for

[DontH8Me]

Shiitakes are in a class on their own - texture and flavor. My favorite. But I've also learned to love them only started eating them after I got pregnant with my son. I loathed them up until then. Glad I overcame the aversion because of their healthful properties. Wood ears are excellent too - cant imagine hot and sour soup without them. Champignons are the most boring and bland - I rarely get those.

[GER308]

Cubensis