When I recall some memories of my childhood, my favorite element, which I used to say as “Tiny Umbrella,” is present, and I play with them during the rainy season in the dark closet of my bedroom. I could nearly go back in time and steal some mushrooms in my kitchen without making pin-drop noise and escape from my mother’s presence. I thank my Angels of Memories, who keep feeding me those nostalgic moments even when I get older.
This was the starting point for me to know a green food called “Mushroom,” which I called after realizing the name in my science book. Mushrooms existed in various names and have come out later in their original name than what we call them today. Nonetheless, I have not changed its name, and even now, I call them “Tiny umbrella” and like to call them the same forever.
Birth of Mushrooms
These Mushrooms are said to evolve around 20,000 years ago in the northern region of Spain. People in the Spain region cultivated this “Umbrella-Form” Fungi using some sterilized ingredients in the farm and consuming it. Later on, it became to be consumed in Northern France by using dried plant stalks of the mushroom and horse manure, which were available in those rural areas, and they used this as ingredients to grow mushrooms on a large scale.
As years moved on, most of these countries’ nearby places started improving the cultivation of mushrooms in huge farms, and this green food became popular. It was spread among places like England, America, Japan, which led to the large-scale White-Button Mushroom Farms and Industry. The technological advancements in cultivating this kind of Fungi-based Foods were raised through Internets and other High-end Farm tools used in growing mushrooms, even in the houses.
This Technological disruption helped enormously for the farmers who were doing Small-scale agricultural business to cultivate low-priced crops, and homemade mushroom cultivation helped them boost their family earnings. Many DIY techniques to grow mushrooms were published in the form of Blogs, Videos, E-books, etc. These supplements helped out people who were not familiar with doing cultivation in their houses.
Consumption of Mushrooms
“GlobalNewsWire,” tells that the per-capita consumption of “China” is the Largest country and Producer of Mushrooms in the whole world. And China is considered as 75% for growing edible mushrooms globally. It also tells that the Asian countries like Japan, Korea, Europe, India, and others are increasing significantly depending upon the production. So, Countries like China, United States, Italy, the UK, Germany, Netherlands, Poland are some top mushroom consuming countries globally. New Study by “vegan news. press” tells that 9. 6 million Americans over the last 15 years transformed to consume green foods and accounts for nearly 3% of the U. S population. And the number of vegans has drifted to the green-eating food culture for keeping their balanced diet by maintaining healthy eating food, says, “GlobalData. ”
Mushroom Structure
We all know what a Mushroom looks like. Typically these Mushrooms differ in structure because of cultivation using various ingredients used for growing them. A normal edible mushroom takes the form of a Thick umbrella cap attached at the top of the stem, where tiny spots called “Spores” are present in them. Fungi are taken in the form of mushrooms, and it spreads all over the roots of the mushrooms giving such an umbrella structure. In some mushrooms, Spores are produced either internally or externally.
The colors of the Spores present till now are black, brown, white(commonly used), purple, yellow, pink.
Types of Mushroom
The commonly used mushrooms are:
White-button Mushroom: These are the shiny creamy capped mushrooms and edible mushrooms available in Europe and North America. These are often recommended as common green food to stay healthy, and also, they are often one of the continental foods cooked in various hotels. These mushrooms are brown in color and differ accordingly. The fat value is completely minute and zero, the protein value is high and good for your skin.
Shiitake Mushroom: This kind of mushroom is popular in Asian countries, mainly the Eastern region. These look like a brown cap topped at the stem. Again the continental dishes are made using this mushroom, which gives a nice and fresh odor and serves in various hotels and star-restaurants.
Oyster Mushrooms: This type of mushrooms emerges in trees and looks like sea-shelled spikes coming out of the tree wood and creamy-brown. These are mostly grown in Asian countries like Japan, China, India, Indonesia, etc. these are cooked with the Asian style of inducing spicy masala and green leaves. These contain many Nutritious values like protein, vitamins, low fat and sodium, and other fibers.
Medical Benefits
Based on the regular types of edible mushrooms discussed above, there is high nutritious value, making this green food so special and available at different places. They are said to contain vitamin-B, vitamin-C, and vitamin-D (produced by showing the mushrooms under artificial sunlight called the “UV-light”)Mainly used in China for curing abnormal diseases as a Traditional Ailment. “Ganoderma Lingzhi” is a popular ailment mushroom for relieving sick people and cures their disease. This helps in curing minute lo-stage cancer-affected patients and helps to boost your immune system. It’s purely enriched with Proteins, Vitamins, Minerals, and other Nutritious values, etc.
It is so amazing to know that mushrooms have so many benefits and values that the consumption rate of mushrooms is tremendously growing. Now, let’s relax and try out a recipe.
Bonus Recipe Part 1 – Bell Pepper-Tomato Mushroom
As I promised, here is an interesting recipe which you all must try out.
Ingredients
Soybean oil (or any edible oil), Tomato(2 in no’s), Bell-pepper(Yellow, 1 in no), White-button Mushroom(300gm), Asparagus(few), Parsley(few), Salt, and Oregano powder(half teaspoon)
Recipe
Heat the pan with 2 teaspoons of edible oil, and put the chopped tomatoes(vertically chopped) in it, and fry them for 5 mins. Add the Sliced Bell-pepper (Vertically sliced) and make and saute it gently, not to overcook(do this for 2 mins). Then add the washed Mushrooms(remove the stem alone, and add the cap region) with the vegetables simmer saute to medium flame. Add the asparagus and parsley on it and sprinkle 1. 5 teaspoons of salt and you can smell the aroma of half fried veggies and mushroom along with seasoning present. Finally, add half a teaspoon of Oregano to it and mix them well. All finished!!
This is a simple continental food that you can try at home and have for morning breakfast or during lunch. For people who especially have the habit of eating Brunch, this dish is a great tummy filler. It has more nutrition, proteins, and other fibers which helps you in a balanced diet.
Substitute for Mushroom
Green or Violet Cabbage: Initially, when you try to slice this vegetable, it comes out as thin sheets with several layers. But few flours are used to taste like mushrooms. For example, take 3 spoons of all-purpose flour and mix it well with a few drops of water by adding some salt in Finely sliced Cabbage and forming some medium-sized balls. Let it stay soaked for 20 mins so that the flour and the cabbage are firm and stuck together. Now, deep fry in a hot pan of oil and take out those Fried cabbage balls, filter the extra oil. Now you can add those fried balls to any of the semi-liquid foods, which will taste exactly like mushrooms.
Bell-pepper: This veggie is in three different colors, Green(Most Popularly used), Red, and Yellow. Again due to its spongy consistency which we get after sauteing in the pan. Bell-pepper is considered to be an added ingredient for the top-continental foods and for the simple breakfast dishes that you make at home. It goes very well with most of the colored vegetables that we use regularly.
Wild-Eggplant : These vegetables look a dark purple in color and are originally preferred as fruit. Naturally, when you touch the flesh of this vegetable, it is a spongy and rubbered type of veggie. When it is cooked with Broccoli or Cauliflower, the dish gives you an exquisite taste mixed with some seasoning. These are cooked as a south-Indian dish and are popular in all Indian Restaurants.
Chayote: It looks Creamy-Green in color with a small spiky-hair grown in the outer skin of the vegetable and is pear-shaped in structure. These are predominantly available in Florida, California, and other South and East Asian countries. It turns spongy when it is cooked or boiled and adding some flavored sauce and a few spices will taste and you can have it as a tasty meal for dinner.
Pumpkin: They also come under the Squash variety of vegetables which has high-nutritive values in it. People who want to have a balanced diet or even people who want to lose weight can have it as half-cooked food adding some carrot, tomato, and asparagus to it. Pumpkin increases the protein value and other fibers that keep your body balanced and healthy. This acts as a weight-reducer for the people who are suffering from huge cholesterol.
These are some of the vegetables which I know by tasting them in dishes and many other vegetables are also present which I never knew. So, start trying out and find some other vegetable that tastes similar to Mushrooms.
Now Let’s break out trying a recipe for Mushroom Substitute. Ready for the next bonus recipe?!
Here we go…
Bonus Recipe Part 2- Smoked Eggplant with Creamy Chayote Pasta
Ingredient
Olive oil(2 Teaspoon), Eggplant(1 big in no), Chayote(1 full-sized), tomato(1 small), Parsley, and Baby Corn(3 or 4 in no’s), salt, Pasta(150 gms).
Recipe
if you have a smoker or BBQ Barrel Smoker where you can easily smoke the Eggplant. Slice the Eggplant into Thick-fleshy pieces(during smoking it reduces to a desirable medium size and is easy to consume with the pasta) and keep it over the cooking grid. And ensure that the charcoal is burnt and kept inside the pot or your grill device. Let it get smoked for 20-25 mins because we are cooking a Veggie flesh that gets smoked quickly and not like meat flesh or other seafood. After getting smoked, leave it on a plate and close it using a tight lid.
Cut the Chayote into small pieces, Make a deep fry in the oil, and add some salt to it. Let the Fried Chayote get cooled at room temperature for 5-6 mins and put it on a flat plate to make the drying process easier. Using a blender, crush those dried chayote’s and churn it until it changes to a creamy paste, ensuring there are no lumps present.
In a Metal Bowl or any preferred vessel for boiling, add some salt and edible oil to the water and add the pasta to make it puffed. Do this for 15 mins (Pasta should not be over-cooked), keep aside in some small plate to cool.
Now in a pan pour one teaspoon of oil, add some tomato and baby corn saute it well for 5 mins, then put the smoked eggplant and add the Chayote paste and let it boil along with the fried veggies. And then finally add the puffed pasta over it, saute it under a low flame, then add some parsley on the top of it. Now, check for the taste of salt and you need some more salt, sprinkle as per your requirement.
That’s it with the making and you have prepared a mouth-watering pasta as a feast and you can have this for your dinner along with a wine or beer!!
Conclusion
It has been an immense pleasure having you all here for going through my read-out and I believe that you have known about some interesting substitutes for mushrooms and are getting ready to try out the Bonus recipe which I’ve shared with you.
