Curiosities about Mushrooms: characteristics and false myths

1) It is said that the Greek hero Perseus, returning from a long journey, found refreshment in the water collected from the hat of a mushroom, met by chance on his way. Grateful for the unexpected and necessary help, he founded a colony and gave it the name of Mycenae, which means “mushroom” in Greek. And again, the Roman emperor Claudius, a lover of mushrooms, was poisoned by his wife Agrippina by a mushroom-based dish.

2) Mushrooms are a delicious food on the palate, capable of flavoring many dishes even different from each other in an exceptional way but, at the same time, they bring an almost negligible caloric value, very similar to that of common vegetables and vegetables of which they possess similar properties nutritional. The search for mushrooms, especially porcini mushrooms, is a passion that unites many Italians and which allows you to combine days spent outdoors with physical activity, as well as the satisfaction of consuming what you have gathered perhaps in company. So far the positive aspects, but unfortunately there is the downside as the risks associated with this food are numerous and we must be careful about how to collect and consume them. It must also be considered that when it comes to mushrooms, there is often a lot of confusion because many people believe that it is a type of vegetable, while other people even think that it is a particular type of fruit. Let’s clarify immediately: mushrooms are neither vegetables nor fruits because they don’t grow from any flower, they don’t have seeds inside them and they don’t even have roots. Mushrooms belong to a realm of their own called “Fungi or Mycetae” and, although nutritionally they are considered as vegetables or vegetables, mushrooms are simply… mushrooms.

3) They are composed of almost 90% water and provide very little fat and calories, 100g of porcini mushrooms provide 26 Kcal. Mushrooms are mostly sources of fiber, useful for the good functioning of the intestine, but they also contain traces of vegetable proteins and a good amount of vitamins and mineral salts such as potassium, phosphorus, calcium and iron: we can therefore say that this food it can easily be part of a correct and balanced diet. Mushrooms can be eaten fresh, always available like those grown in mushroom farms, or harvested especially in September, but it is also possible to use frozen or dried ones to make tasty dishes. They can be used in the preparation of rich condiments for pasta, polenta, salads and in many other dishes. Like all foods, mushrooms must also be consumed without exceeding the quantities and with caution as regards children under the age of 3, the elderly and pregnant women. Make sure that the mushrooms are safe by purchasing them from authorized dealers or, if you choose to collect them independently in the woods, it is advisable to respect the current legislation and always have them checked by the ASL experts before consuming them. In fact, ingesting unsafe refugees can be dangerous and cause damage to health, even death.

4) There are giant mushrooms, weighing even 14 kg and over 40 cm in height, other species have very large caps, in short, real giant-sized mushrooms; and also fluorescent mushrooms, the Chlorophos Mycena are frequent in the Japanese and Brazilian woods. Bioluminescence is due to the release of light spores.

5) The Italians are among the largest consumers of mushrooms, according to some research carried out in England, the Italians, Swiss and Austrians, are the largest consumers of mushrooms in Europe. In particular, Italy is in first place for the consumption of mushrooms. SIPO with the Sapori del Mio Orto line offers a selection of high quality mushrooms, 14 references to choose from between mono-product and recipes