Celebrate the ‘shroom during Mushroom Month

EVERY year homage is paid to the humble mushroom, as the month of September, Mushroom Month, is dedicated to the edible fungus.

While the celebration of mushrooms was initiated in the USA in 1993, Mushroom Month is celebrated all over the world, even in South Africa.

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Mushroom Month was created to raise awareness not just of the mushroom’s culinary uses, but of the important role it plays in many industries.

Some people may not appreciate the mushroom’s finer qualities of taste and texture but the humble fungus can be celebrated in many ways.

Whether grilled with butter and set atop a hamburger or stuffed with cheese and breading, and slow cooked for ultimate flavour, mushrooms have a place on every table.

But what, exactly, is a mushroom?

According to mycologist and medical researcher Paul Stamets, it’s the fruiting body of a fungus found in the ground.

The mushroom’s fruiting body is formed so it can spread its spores and reproduce, but it just so happens that certain members of this family are absolutely delicious.

Mushrooms have an incredible variety of uses which don’t stop in the kitchen.

While high in Vitamin D, an important resource for processing calcium and making strong bones, they also have medicinal properties.

Some mushrooms are used for dyeing wool, with surprisingly vibrant colours available in their spectrum.

There are also mushrooms that are used for medicinal purposes, with certain varieties exhibiting anti-cancer properties.

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