Common mushrooms and their culinary uses

White button: White button mushrooms are mild in flavor, blend well with most ingredients, and have a flavor that intensifies when cooked.

Portobello and cremini: A lovely brown mushroom with a slightly earthy flavor that mixes well with other mushrooms. Firm flesh stands up to long cooking times. When cooked, portobello mushrooms have a chewy, meaty texture and a smoky, earthy flavor.

Shiitake: Shiitake mushrooms have a dense, chewy texture. They are intensely flavored and can be somewhat tough. The stems are so tough that they must be removed before cooking. Add the stems to stocks and broth.

Enoki: Enoki mushrooms are long and slender. Most often white, they grow in bouquets of tightly packed stems topped with tiny caps. Enoki have an earthy flavor and can be somewhat stringy due to their long fibers.

Oyster: Delicate, with petal-like caps growing out of a central group, oyster mushrooms are slightly chewy with a mild flavor. It’s not as common to see these in a supermarket, but you might find them in a packet of “gourmet mixed” mushrooms.

King trumpet: Also known as French horn mushrooms, these meaty shafts are the largest in the oyster mushroom family. With thick white stems and small brown caps, they are great for slicing lengthwise into plants or into medallions for cooking.

Beech: Beech mushrooms, also known as shimeji, are a variety of Asian mushrooms with a crunchy texture and nutty, savory flavor.

Maitake: Maitake mushrooms are a lacy bouquet also known as hen-ofthe-woods. They have a delicate yet earthy flavor.