Cultivated mushrooms : regular assortment

A mushroom "under construction". Concentrated in taste and texture. Also remains a fresh white accent in casseroles and keeps its shape. Beautiful as a whole or halved in cream sauces, stews, pasta and risotto and stir-fry dishes.

Be careful with excessive use of spices, garlic, etc. (this also applies to most mushrooms). After all, it is about the delicate taste of these mini mushrooms. And if you do it already, for example in the classic "Champignon à l ’escargot", then don't expect to taste a mushroom bomb (but a very tasty dish!).

We 'traders' prefer to bake them in butter with a steak.

A mushroom "under construction". Concentrated in taste and texture. The Chestnut mushrooms already have that more than their white brothers, and these minis are even more intense in taste and texture !! Continue to give a rich accent in casseroles and keep their shape. Beautiful as a whole or halved in cream sauces, stews, pasta and risotto and stir-fry dishes. But also cut wafer-thin and fried briefly as 'carpaccio' with, for example, a lukewarm gravy of mushrooms and veal stock. Then they taste great!

Be careful with excessive use of spices, garlic, etc. (this also applies to most mushrooms). After all, it is about the delicate taste of these mini mushrooms. And if you already do it, for example in the classic 'Champinons à l ’escargot', then don't expect to taste a mushroom bomb (but a very tasty dish!).

We 'traders' prefer to bake them in butter with a steak.

The Chestnut mushroom is firmer than the White  cup mushroom and therefore (not unimportant) has a longer shelf life. Even more important is the aromatic and more nutty taste. Another difference with the white mushroom is that the chestnut contains less moisture, so that it shrinks less during cooking. Therefore, therefore, do not clean with water !! Cut a brush or some damp kitchen paper, the bottom part of the handle and you're done !!

The Chestnut cup is the brown variant of the white cup mushroom from the Agaricus bisporus family. After the white mushroom, the chestnut is the most grown in the Netherlands; together about 270,000 of the approximately 440,000 tons worldwide each year (source Lei Wageningen University - 2013).

The 'ordinary' mushroom. . . the most common and consumed of the 100,000 types of mushrooms. But also this 'ordinary' mushroom is the fruiting body of the actual organism, the mycelium; a network of fungal threads and a small miracle from Mother Nature. So actually very special...!!

In the 50s and 60s we started to, first reluctantly and eventually massively, consume them. Of great gastronomic value and the culinary possibilities are endless. We have the sizes mini ('button'), cup ('middle') and giant.

The Agaricus bisporus (Latin name) has several cultivated varieties, such as the Chestnut mushroom and the Portabella or Portobello (both names can be used) and is related to the Horse mushroom (cultivated) and the widely eaten Gilled mushroom (wild).

The White Portobello (or Portabella... both names may be used) is mature and 'ripe'. And 'ripe' gives 'taste'! Just like with fruit.

The brown beards under the hat are clearly visible and give off a lot of mushroom aroma. In contrast to closed mushrooms (to which other seasonings and herbs are often added), you hardly need to add anything to these fully grown and intensely flavored specimens. Also a robust and decorative element in many dishes.

In many countries, including the Netherlands, people want almost exclusively "virgin white" closed mushrooms. It somehow settled between our ears. There must not be an ointment. In contrast to the Mediterranean areas, where the taste is primarily chosen. People here sometimes compare 'our' mushrooms with 'green bananas'. . .

Gastronomically and in terms of sensory values ​​(color, smell and taste) these giants are comparable to the 'regular white button mushroom'. Virgin white in color and available with a diameter of 4 to 6 cm. With which there are presentation-technically new possibilities. Perfect to fill if you find a Portobello (starting at 6 cm) too large. Or to cut glittering thin section slices of the hat or a nice long 'julienne'.

Closed Giant mushrooms are actually the largest mushrooms that are on a mushroom bed and that are therefore picked later. And they still have a closed hat. Because even later the mushroom continues to grow and the hat opens. And we call it Portobello (or Portabella... Both names are allowed).

In England many open and closed giants ("flats") are consumed for breakfast and also often filled as hors d'oeuvre.

In terms of taste, the Portabella (or Portobello... both names may be used) is the superlative within the Agaricus varieties: the closed white mushrooms have a neutral taste, the (closed) Chestnut mushrooms already have a fuller nutty taste and the Portabella, partly because it is open, 'ripe' and fully grown, the most pronounced taste. With a nice fleshy structure.

The Portabella is nothing more and nothing less than a Chestnut mushroom. That can have a hat with a diameter of up to 12 cm. This variant of the Agaricus bisporus family was then blown over from the US, where this mushroom was mainly grown for the BBQ. The White Portabella is usually smaller.