You might love them on top of your pizza, fried in a skillet with butter, or baked in casseroles. You may also enjoy trekking out in the woods to hunt the many types of wild mushrooms that grow there. You know they taste good, and they’re fun to hunt, but is that all there is? Read this interesting article and learn some little known facts about mushrooms!
Foot and Plant Fungus- And Mushrooms?
Mushrooms are rather puzzling plants because, although we eat them, they are actually fungi. Normally, “fungi” are something we find ourselves battling. If your houseplants become diseased, for example, the problem could be caused by a fungus. If your feet get itchy, and they burn and crack, then you probably have Athlete’s Foot, which is caused by – you guessed it- a fungus. These are obviously different types of fungus, but fungus still the same.
Mushrooms Could Be a Vegetable
Even though they’re not classified as being a vegetable, a little known fact about mushrooms is that they offer many of the same health benefits. Mushrooms are mainly composed of water. They are low in calories and sodium, are fat-free, and one Portabella mushroom contains more potassium than a banana does! B-complex vitamins, copper, ribloflavin, amino acids, selenium and niacin are also found in mushrooms.
Mushrooms Can Be Killers
Another little known fact about mushrooms is that there are more than 70,000 kinds of them on the planet today. However, only a fraction- about 250- of those types are edible. The rest can poison you and cause illness, or even death. The “Death Cap” is considered to be the number one cause of illness and death when it comes to mushroom-related poisonings in North America. And, despite its attractive appearance, the “Destroying Angel” is the name of yet another mushroom that can kill you. This is why it’s so important to know exactly what you’re looking for when you go mushroom hunting in the woods.
A Suitable Substitute for Meat
Portabella mushrooms have long been used as a suitable substitute for meat. In fact, some people say that a cooked Portabella on a bun tastes practically like a hamburger sandwich! (The mushroom sandwich has less fat and calories than the burger.) Sometime in the 1960’s, a fungus was found growing in Europe that resembles the fibrous texture of meat. This mushroom was combined with eggs and flavors and served as an imitation meat. It’s been a popular food in Europe. Marlow Foods Ltd. markets the fungus under the trade name “Quorn”, and it’s now available in the United States. In 2005, the Vegetarian Society gave its nod of approval for the use of “Quorn” products.
Using Mushrooms to Light Your Way
If you see certain types of fungus such as the Honey Mushrooms in the dark, you’ll swear they are radioactive! That’s because they glow in the dark! The phosphorescent light, called “Foxfire”, is produced by enzymes and other chemicals inside the mushroom. A little known fact about mushrooms is that you can actually use these types of glowing fungus to navigate your way when the sun goes down! There are about 40 types of mushrooms that glow in the dark.
When the “Turtle” was invented in 1775 by American inventor David Bushnell, there was a problem of lighting the inside of the submarine. Candles couldn’t be used because they used the limited amount of oxygen inside the sub. Benjamin Franklin suggested that foxfire lighting be used. And, it worked!
