traditionally gathered and eaten in Europe is
now thought to present an unpredictable but
real risk of potentially fatal hydrazine
poisoning; this is the gyromitre or false morel
(species of Gyromitra).
Inflated by water as they are, mushrooms
are 80–90% water, with a thin outer cuticle
that allows rapid moisture loss and gain. Their
cell walls are reinforced not by plant
cellulose, but by chitin, the carbohydrate-
amine complex that also makes up the outer
skeleton of insects and crustaceans.
Mushrooms are notable for containing much
more protein and vitamin B 12 than other fresh
produce. A number of mushrooms have been
used in traditional medicines, and there is
scientific evidence that some of the unusual
cell-wall carbohydrates in shiitakes,
matsutakes, and the interestingly crunchy-
gelatinous ear mushrooms contain substances
that inhibit tumor growth. Another factor in
shiitakes may limit the production of