Here really are a few factual statements about Mushrooms, the magic ingredient:
Mushrooms are often classified as a vegetable or perhaps a herb, but they are actually fungi.
While there are over 14,000 mushrooms, only about 3,000 are edible, about 700 have known medicinal properties, and fewer than one percent are recognized as poisonous.
Individuals who collect mushrooms for consumption are known as mycophagists, and the act of collecting them for such is called mushroom hunting or just “mushrooming” ;.
Only specimens which are freshly picked or properly preserved must be consumed and not too old. Once an edible mushroom loses its freshness, bacterial colonies will form and stomach upsets or worse symptoms can be expected if such specimens are ingested.
Probably the most commonly consumed mushroom on the planet is Agaricus bisporus or the white button mushroom one up mushroom bar. It has two other styles Crimini or brown mushrooms with a far more earthy flavor and firmer texture, and Portabella mushrooms with a large umbrella-shaped cap and meaty flavor.
The Egyptians considered mushrooms as a delicacy, and the Greeks believed that mushrooms provided strength for warriors in battle. The Romans regarded mushrooms as something special from God and served them only on festive occasions, while the Chinese treasured them as a health food.
Mushrooms contain about 80 to 90 % water and are really low in calories (only 100 calories/oz). They have hardly any sodium and fat and 8 to 10 % of the dry weight is fiber.
No more than 45% of mushrooms produced are consumed in the fresh form. The rest of the 55% is processed with 5% in the dehydrated form and 50% in the canned mushrooms form.
This shelf life of mushrooms in the fresh form is extremely short. Hence mushrooms are traded on the planet market mostly in the processed form.
Some mushrooms produce compounds that fight cancer! This is discovered when scientists in Japan found that the community had unusually low cancer rates.
Mushrooms may be used for dyeing wool and other natural fibers. The chromophores of mushrooms are organic compounds and produce strong and vivid colors, and all colors of the spectrum can be achieved with mushroom dyes.
Netherlands is the biggest exporter of canned button mushrooms with a market share of approximately 38.5%. China is second with almost 30% of world trade. France is close third with 13.5% of the entire world exports.
So far as the import market goes, the most significant buyer of canned white button mushroom is Germany. It alone accounts for nearly 40% of the entire world imports.
In addition to the above mentioned facts, mushrooms assists in immune function, they are saturated in vegetable proteins and also promotes good health and vitality.