Volvariella volvacea

Common Name: Paddy Straw Mushroom
Type: Gourmet

Like the name implies, this mushroom grows on Paddy Straw, or Rice Staw, and is perfectly suitable for warmer climates.

It is commonly cultivated in outdoor mounds in India, and other Asian countries. It is a perfecr candidate for “low-tech” cultivation methods.

Paddy straw mushrooms are available in both fresh and in canned form.

Phew…

So many types of mushrooms to choose from!

Of course, this isn’t a complete list- and I plan to eventually be adding more and more.

That being said, I hope this list has at least inspired you to try a new species- whether your growing, or just enjoying in a meal.

Tremella fuciformis

Common Name: Jelly Fungus, Tremella
Type: Gourmet, Medicinal

This mushroom is amazing to look at, and has a unique method of cultivation.

In order to produce fruits, Tremella needs to parasitize another host species. It starts off as just a slime mold, but once it encounters the other species of fungus, it starts aggressive mycelial growth and eventually is able to fruit.

Cultivators need to grow two species in conjunction- both the parasite and the host– in order to properly grow this mushroom commercially.

The fruit body forms in white, jelly-like folds.

Although it is essentially flavorless, it has a interesting texture and is super popular in Asian cooking. It is also used medicinally, and is thought to have anti-aging effects on the skin.

Trametes versicolor

Common Name: Turkey Tail, Cloud Mushroom
Type: Medicinal

Turkey Tail is one of the most commonly found mushroom in the forest. It grows on fallen trees and stumps all over the world. If you spent any time walking down a forest path, there’s a good chance you’ve seen Turkey Tail.

But it’s amazing medicinal benefits are anything but common!

Turkey Tail is extremely high in beneficial beta-d-glucans, polysaccharides that act as “immuno-modulators”. Think of it like cruise control for the immune system.

Turkey Tail is easily cultivated on wood based substrates, although it often makes more economic sense for commercial operations to wild-harvest rather than cultivated this species.

Stropharia rugosoannulata

Common Name: The Wine cap, King Strapharia
Type: Gourmet

King Stropharia is one of the easiest mushrooms to grow at home.

By simply spreading myceliated sawdust into a pile of wood chips and leaving to sit over the summer, there is a good chance one will get a fruiting in the fall.

Because of this, Wine Caps are commonly cultivated in backyards all over the world. They are a wonderful gourmet species, suitable for many dishes.

They can also be grown commercially indoors, although not well enough to be viable for commercial production.

Pleurotus cintrinopileatus

Common Names: Yellow Oyster, Golden Oyster
Type: Gourmet

This mushroom produces beautiful delicate “bouquets” of bright yellow mushrooms. They are similar to Pink Oysters in that they can turn a lot of heads at the farmers market!

They are easy to grow, and can be cultivated on both straw and hardwood sawdust. They are widely cultivated all over the world in both bags and bottles.

Yellow Oysters are slightly bitter in taste, although it the flavor can be greatly improved with proper cooking.

They also have a short shelf life, making them a poor candidate for packing up and sending to the grocery store.

Yellow Oysters are also known for being a good source of antioxidants, and have also been studied as a source to help with high cholesterol.

Pleurotus ostreatus

Common Names: Oyster
Type: Gourmet

This is your typical Oyster Mushroom.

It grows naturally all over the world on trees, stumps and fallen logs. It is also widely cultivated, and is one of the most commonly grown mushrooms in the world.

Oysters can grow on a bewildering number of substrates, including straw, hardwood, banana leaves, coffee, paper and cardboard, and pretty much any other plant based material.

They can even thrive in contaminated environments, and have lots of potential in the science of “myco-remediation”. Many new growers start off with this mushroom because of the ease of cultivation.

Pleurotus nebrodensis

Common Names: White Elf Cap, Nebrodini Bianca
Type: Gourmet

This species is very similar to the King Oyster, and can be grown and cooked in much the same way. Still, cultivation of this mushroom is not common, with very few growers producing this species commercially.

The fruit body and caps are beige-white and quite large. They are substantial mushrooms, with a thick and meaty texture.

They can even be cooked on the BBQ!

Pleurotus eryngii

Common Names: King Oyster, King Trumpets
Type: Gourmet

King Oysters don’t look like your typical Oyster mushroom.

Instead of growing in large folded clusters with flat caps, King Oysters usually grow singly, and can form thick fat stems.

They are commonly cultivated in low CO2, low light environments, which give them tiny caps and huge stems. When grown outside, they form large brown caps and narrow stems.

Unlike most other oysters, Kings have an awesome shelf life- and can often remain in good condition up to 2 weeks after refrigeration. This durability makes them a good candidate to ship overseas, which is why you’ll often see Korean-grown King Oysters in US supermarkets.

This mushroom is very versatile, and can be used in soups, stews, and stir-frys. It can even be made into jerky!

Pleurotus djamour

Common Names: Pink Oyster, Salmon Oyster

Type: Gourmet

The Pink Oyster is certainly a head turner.

The entire mushroom is vibrantly pink, and looks amazing on a table at the farmers market. They can be used in cooking like all other oyster mushrooms, although they do lose most of their color when heat is applied.

Cultivated Pink Oysters have a really short shelf life, which is why you are unlikely to see them at the grocery store. A few days after harvest, they start to get a foul smell, and soon turn inedible.

Pink Oysters are can be grown on straw or hardwood, and do better in warmer climates. The mushroom can withstand high temperatures throughout the entire growing process.

Pholiota nameko

Common Names: Nameko
Type: Gourmet

Nameko grows small clusters of little brown-orange mushrooms with naturally “viscid” caps.

Many people who see these in the grocery store might think that the mushrooms have gone bad- but the slimy caps are completely natural.

They make a great addition to soups, as the gelatinous coating on the caps can serve as a thickening agent. It is a standard ingredient in miso soup. It is also commonly used in stir fry’s, and has a nice nutty flavor.

Nameko grows on wood, and is commonly grown using bottle farming techniques.

Pholiota adiposa

Common Name: Chestnut
Type: Gourmet

This is one of the coolest looking mushrooms! It has a rough cap, and grows in beautiful symmetric clusters.

The Chestnut mushroom is naturally found in Europe.

Although not very common as of yet, commercial cultivation is underway and growing in popularity.

This mushroom is high in polysaccharides, and is being studied for it’s anti-tumor and antimicrobial effects.

Morchella esculenta

Common Name: Morel
Type: Gourmet

The morel is an unbelievably tasty mushroom, attracting foragers from far and wide wherever it decide to fruit. Chefs and foodies alike will happily shell out big buck to get their hands on a basket of fresh morels. In fact, there’s an entire economy built up around the market for wild-harvested morels.

Because they fetch such high prices, people have been trying to cultivate Morels for decades- but with almost zero commercial success.

They were just thought to be too hard to grow!

Recently though, there have been breakthroughs in the cultivation of this once elusive species.

Check out this video below of a Morel farm in China.

eeling inspired yet?

There are currently projects underway to grow morels on a commercial scale in the US, mainly using indoor cultivation techniques. More breakthroughs in morel cultivation techniques would certainly have a massive impact on the wild mushroom market.