Sicilian Culture: The Food: Mushrooms (Funghi)

The Food: Funghi

Mushrooms

History of Mushrooms
Mushrooms date back to ancient Egyptian times, in fact, Pharaohs actually had a written law (according to some interpretation of hieroglyphics from nearly 5000 years ago) that they were only to be eaten by royalty, certainly not peasants. This probably ensured that they would never be short of their own supply. Nearly every culture has their version or favorite type of mushroom. Some "magic mushrooms" should be avoided. In Japan, they actually sell these as a snack and you have to be careful since they are actually a powerful and cause hallucinations. "Shrooms" (Psilocybin) Are a favorite for some, since they became popular when the 1960s saw its "coming out" of drug culture. Funghi, as they are called in Italian, as many can guess, means fungus.
Types of Mushrooms
We should first note, most importantly, that there are many many different types of mushrooms, literally thousands. Some you can eat, some you can't because they are poisonous; some you can eat raw, some you must cook or you will get sick. Below is a "rough guide" to some of the more common types. Mushrooms can be expensive, but we strongly do NOT recommend going back into the woods and just picking out just any old mushrooms you see. It takes a real expert or someone very knowledgeable about the area you live in and the mushrooms themselves before you start going out and picking them on your own.
White Mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) Probably the most basic/common/easy to find in most supermarkets. They vary in color from creamy white to light brown and in sizes from small buttons to jumbo. They should be mild and with the flavor intensified when cooking. Freshly picked White mushrooms have closed veils (caps fit close to the stem) and delicate flavor. Mature whites with open veils and darkened caps develop a rich, deep taste. These mushrooms, if kept refrigerated will last up to a week and are best kept in brown paper bags. You can eat these uncooked, and you see them often in a "garden salad", in vegetable appetizer trays, but you will also see them in soups, sauces, stuffing, various types of salads, even marinated and/or cooked and used to top off steaks, chicken, mashed potatoes, even some types of seafood. These are probably the most versatile since the taste is so mild, unless you have microphobia (fear of mushrooms), don't laugh, I knew someone with this fear in school, needless to say he was easily repelled if he got to obnoxious on the baseball field since mushrooms grow wild (the unedible kind).
Crimini (Italian Brown or Agaricus Bisporus) This are often mistaken for darker white mushrooms because they come from the same family. Light tan is their normal color, but also found in a rich brown with firmer texture. They are deeper, denser, and have a more earthy flavor than white mushrooms. Refrigerated, they can keep fresh for up to a week or so, again, like most mushrooms, in a brown paper bag is best. These are great for beef, wild game and vegetable dishes.
Portabella/Portabello (Agaricus bisporus) Almost impossible to mistake because the caps are huge like pancakes in comparison to most mushrooms (they grow up to 6" in diameter). It takes longer for a portabella to grow, so the result is a deep, more destinct texture and flavor. Stored and refrigerated properly (brown paper bag), portabellas can be stored for up to 10 days. There is nothing like a grilled portabella mushroom either served alone, sliced and put on top of a salad, or my favorite, with balsamic vinegar and topped off home made pizza. I have even seen them in many restaurants in New York City as a "portabella burger", often they are so thick and since they are best grilled, easily replace the colories of a hamburger without replacing flavor.

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