Mushroom History
Mushrooms are of the fungi family subdivision of Basidiomycotina, of the class Hymenomycetes. The word mushroom is derived from the Gallo-Roman mussiro which evolved to mussereroun in Middle English.There are so many varieties of mushrooms, both edible and toxic, that mass consumption is pretty much limited to those commercially-grown varieties which can be trusted to be edible.
In the eighteenth century, France began cultivating mushrooms resembling the basic mushroom that we all buy at the market.
Prior to 1940, the most widely available mushroom was the Italian brown, now known as the crimini mushroom. From this early lust for fungi arose the taste for more exotic mushrooms, including shiitake, enoki, oyster, morels, cepes, chanterelles, and more.
More About Mushrooms:
• Mushroom Selection and Storage
• Mushroom Tips and Hints
• Mushroom Equivalents, Measures, and Substitutions
• How to Clean Mushrooms
• Common Edible Mushroom Varieties
• Mushroom Facts and Warning
• Mushrooms and Health
• Mushroom History
• Mushroom Recipes
Mushroom Photo © 2006 Peggy Trowbridge, licensed to About.com, Inc.
