Nearly 70 per cent of the mu
buttons. Boring! Branch ou
THE MUSHROOM DECODER
CHANTERELLES
With their orange-gold
colour, these firm
mushrooms look pretty
and taste almost
buttery.”They’re very
nutty, which is distinct,”
says Chizmar. Try them
with bacon and scallops.u oms we buy are white
utwith these other varietiesSHIITAKES
The stems are tough (use
them for stock), but the
caps have a pleasingly
woody taste. Their fibre
content is more than double
that of white mushrooms.
“Dense and rich, they go
well with Asian flavours,”
Chizmar says.MAITAKES
Their semi-firm texture and
earthy flavour are perfect for
stir-fry – and they supply
higher levels of the
antioxidant glutathione than
the other varieties described
on this page.OYSTERS
These mild-tasting ’shrooms
have more iron and antioxidants
(like ergothioneine) than white,
shiitake or portabello
mushrooms. Oysters have a nice
chewy texture when cooked.
They pair well with crisp white
wine and fish or shellfish.MORELS
They’re prized by foragers for
their honeycombed look and
tender texture. Sauté them in
lots of butter. Don’t tell
anyone where you got ’em.
CREMINIS
These are also known as
baby bellas –portabellos
picked while they’re still
small. They’re earthy,
meaty crowd-pleasers,
says chef Lee Chizmar
of Bolete Restaurant.
“We serve them
with steaks.”