Can Molds Be Edible?
There are hundreds of thousands of edible species of fungi, thousands of which are regularly harvested for mass consumption.
Some species of fungi are very highly priced and sought after for the fact that they cannot be cultivated and are often harvested from there natural settings.
Most Commonly Consumed
Here is a list of a few of the most commonly consumed fungi:
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Agaricus Bisporus
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Agaricus bisporus is most commonly known as the button mushroom.
This species of fungus is the most extensively cultivated mushroom in the world. Button mushrooms take up 38% of the world’s production of cultivated mushrooms.
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Pleurotus
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The pleurotus species is also known as the ‘oyster mushroom.’ This species of mushroom takes the second spot for the most produced mushroom in the world.
It holds a whopping 25% of the total world production of cultivated mushrooms. Pleurotus mushrooms are found world-wide but China is the major producer of this edible fungi.
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Volvariella Volvacea
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Volvariella volvacea is also known as the ‘Paddy straw’ mushroom.
Paddy straw mushrooms have a 16% hold on the total production of cultivated mushrooms in the world.
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Lentinus Edodes
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Lentinus edodes is largely produced in Japan, China and South Korea. They are also known as shiitake or oak mushrooms. Lentinus edodes accounts for at least 10% of the world production in cultivated mushrooms.
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Boletus Edulis
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Boletus edulis is often called Porcini. Other names for it are King Bolete, Cep, and Steinpilz. Porcini is renowned for its nutty flavor. It is sought after worldwide, and can be found in a variety of culinary dishes.
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The Truffle
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The Truffle, Tuber magnatum or Piemont white truffle, is also called a Summer or St. Jean truffle, and sometimes Tuber brumale. Truffles belong to the ascomycete grouping of fungi.
The truffle fruit bodies are developed underground in mycorrhizal and are associated with more popular trees such as poplar, beech, and hazel.
Interesting Note
Since truffles are difficult to find, trained pigs or dogs are often used to sniff them out for harvesting!
Amazing! And these are only some of the most common edible fungi on our planet!
Further Recommended Reading :
Joslyn from the MoldBlogger Team
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