Mushrooms, those enigmatic fungi that emerge from the forest floor or are cultivated in the darkness of specialized facilities, hold a unique place in our culinary and cultural landscapes. From the humble button mushroom to exotic unknown fungi, these organisms captivate our senses with their earthy aromas, diverse flavors, and intriguing biology. Some fungi provide us with significant visual appeal, while others are so visually dull that we walk right past. For many, mushrooms are more than just ingredients; favourite mushrooms can represent a journey into the realm of natural wonders.
We reached out to some of our favourite mycophiles to hear what their favourite mushrooms are, and why. Whether you’re a seasoned mycophile or simply intrigued by the magic of fungi, join us on a journey through the fascinating world of our favorite mushrooms with our favourite mycophiles.
Sphaerobolus stellatus. This tiny fungus produces fruiting bodies a mere 2 mm in diameter. Its spores form inside a ball-shaped pellet that is ejected by an ‘air-bag’ formed by the membrane lining the star.
The tiny balls are sticky and will strip paint off wall or cars that they land on. With the increased popularity of mulching garden beds there’s been a related rise in insurance claims to fix paint damage to buildings and vehicles as dense populations of the ‘cannonball fungus’ form and eject from wood chip mulches.
– Dr. Laurton McGurk, President of Fungi Map
Photo Credit: Laurton McGurk
My favorite fungi in general… is yeast. And I’m talking about, specifically, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which is the ascomycete yeast that ferments beer, wine, bread, cider, pretty much any alcoholic beverage or Leven bread.
From the perspective of edibility, ecology, photography and more I will try to detail some of my favorites and why I find it so hard to choose just one.
– Dr. Gordon Walker, Fascinated by Fungi
Listen to this episode of the Fascinated by Fungi podcast to learn all his favourite mushrooms.
Like many mushroom hunters, I often dream about the hunt. I’ve had a recurring dream for about a decade. In my dream I walk along the stone wall of an abandoned formal garden, peeking under the neglected topiary where I find huge wobbly morels hiding under the bushes. They are at once glorious and disgusting. I collect them with a kind of furtive excitement and experience waves of rapture, euphoria, bliss. But those feelings are so intense and visceral they wake me up, and as a result, I never find all the mushrooms. Maybe that’s why I come back to that garden again and again, night after night.
– Eugenia Bone, author of Mycophilia: Revelations from the Weird World of Mushrooms. Visit Eugenia’s website.
Morchella. My sister and I grew up foraging for morels. Maybe it was because we were much closer to the ground then my parents, but we were very good at finding them. Morchella are mycorrhizal so they fall under the SPUN mission. They are also mysterious because they do not form mushrooms quite so readily. What’s not to love?
– Dr. Toby Kiers, co-founder of the Society for the Underground Network (S.P.U.N.)
My favorite mushroom is the unexpected one that you find when you weren’t looking for it.
When you are metaphorically and literally looking down, it can change the course of your day. It’s just one of many reasons that mushrooms are magical.
– Daniel “Attaboy” Seifert, artist and creator of Game of Shrooms. Learn more on his website.
That is a hard question. Some mushrooms I photograph, some of them I eat, some I have had fun with, recreationally, and some are powerful medicine. I’m just going to have to say that my favorite mushroom is the one that is in season.
Currently, an entire shelf in my refrigerator is crowded with jars, big and small, of truffles of various sizes and colors. We have butter currently being infused, grapeseed in olive oil that have been infused. It’s truffle mania right now. But give it a month and a half and morels are going to be my favorite. Late summer lobsters are my favorite, and just after them my absolute favorite in-season mushroom is Porcini! You see where I’m going with this. Just way too hard for me to decide on one!
– Aaron Hilliard, YouTuber, Mushroom Wonderland. Check out the channel!
I refuse to name only one! I’ll start with Pleurocybella porrigens aka Angel Wings. I first stumbled upon a big patch of these dainty graceful mushrooms growing on a conifer log in the Green Mountains of Vermont. It was sort of a new species for me and the verdant setting along with the phonetically pleasing name just really made it stick. The controversy surrounding their edibility is very interesting too (yes, I ate them)!
Second would have to be shiitake, Lentinula edodes. From an ethnomycological perspective, it can’t be beat! They’re beautiful, delicious and so much fun to cultivate.
Last but not least, the Chestnut Bolete, Gyroporus castaneus, because even though they’re small, they are fun to find and really freaking tasty!
– Louis Giller, North Spore
To quote the late, great Gary Lincoff, my favorite mushroom is the one that’s right in front of me. I’ve come to appreciate the many ways of mushrooms — iridescent, purple, undescribed Lepiotas, or the subtle sunrise of Tricholomopsis rutilans (especially one fruiting in the arid, sun-swept high elevation mountains), the tiny brown ones that I don’t know who live in the woods behind my house, the cheesy potato odor of Cortinarius camphoratus, or the velvet indigo pores of my dreams. My favorite mushroom is the one that makes me stop in my tracks.
– Gabriela D’Elia, Director, Fungal Diversity Survey (FUNDIS)
Photo Credit: By James Lindsey at Ecology of Commanster, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3566925
I have three favourites for three different reasons. My favourite culinary mushroom is the Lobster Mushroom because it has an amazing flavour and texture. Lions Mane is another favourite of mine, because it’s a delicious culinary mushroom but it also has extraordinary medicinal value. It’s an all around perfect mushroom. Lastly, the Destroying Angel is another favourite. It’s toxicity is out of this world, and the manner in which it kills is terrifyingly amazing.
– Robert Courteau, founder of Think Fungi
As we conclude our exploration of favorite mushrooms, it’s clear that these remarkable fungi hold a special place in our hearts and on our plates. From the familiar comforts of bread yeast to the exotic allure of truffles, each species offers a unique sensory experience and a glimpse into the intricate web of life that sustains our world and gives us new unimaginable innovations.
Whether foraged from the wild or cultivated with care, mushrooms continue to inspire chefs, scientists, and nature enthusiasts alike. As we continue to unravel their mysteries, let us also remember the importance of preserving the ecosystems that support these extraordinary organisms.
So, the next time you sit down to enjoy a mushroom risotto or savor a slice of pizza adorned with chanterelles, take a moment to appreciate the wonder of these humble fungi. For in their diversity and beauty, mushrooms remind us of the richness of the natural world.
Interested in identifying the mushrooms mentioned in this article? Check out our identification courses or go the slow way with the help of a field guide.