Your Guide to Ontario's Most Popular Edible Mushrooms!
Mushrooms come in all shapes, shades, sizes and textures. In Ontario alone, there are upwards of 5000 different types of fungi that grow here (some edible, and some not).
This mushroom guide below is here to help you learn more about some of the most popular types of edible mushrooms used culinarily that grow here in Ontario and how you can incorporate them into your cooking. With so many varieties to experiment with, the possibilities in your kitchen are endless!
- White Mushrooms
- Cremini Mushrooms
- Portobello Mushrooms
- Shiitake Mushrooms
- Enoki Mushrooms
- King Oyster Mushrooms
- Oyster Mushrooms
- Lion's Mane Mushrooms
- Maitake Mushrooms
- Morrel Mushrooms
- Chanterelle Mushrooms
- Porcini Mushrooms
Cultivated Mushrooms vs. Wild Mushrooms
Mushrooms can either be cultivated, meaning they are grown at a mushroom farm or in some kind of controlled environment, or they can grow in the wild and are foraged from Ontario's forests.
Agaricus Bisporus (Cultivated)
White Mushrooms
White mushroom are one of the most popular and most consumed mushroom varieties in Ontario. They are extremely easy to cultivate and are easily recognizable by their all white colour. These mushrooms are the youngest and least mature variety of the Agaricus bisporus species of mushrooms.
Flavour Profile
The flavour profile of a white mushroom is mild and woodsy when consumed raw, and this flavour intensifies with cooking.
How to Cook With White Mushrooms
White mushrooms are fantastic to use in in soups, salads, appetizers, to top your pizzas, in pastas or other entrees. Fry them up with some onions for the perfect side to a steak dinner.
Cremini Mushrooms
Crimini mushrooms are incredibly similar to white mushrooms in shape and size but they have a firmer texture and their colour ranges from light to dark brown. Like white mushrooms, they are also in the Agaricus bisporus mushroom family, but creminis are the medium stage in maturity of these mushrooms.
Flavour Profile
Compared to white mushrooms, cremini mushrooms are meatier and have a more earthy, robust flavour than white mushrooms.
How to Cook With Cremini Mushrooms
Cremini mushrooms are more flavorful than button mushrooms. They have a woodsy flavour that comes alive when pan-fried, stuffed and baked, roasted, or stewed. You can even chop these delicious mushrooms up, place them in a salad, and eat them raw.
Portobello Mushrooms
The most mature member of the Agaricus bisporus mushroom family, the Portobello mushroom are much larger in size than both the white or cremini mushroom and are actually button mushrooms in their final stage of maturity.
Flavour Profile
Portobello mushrooms lose some moisture as they grow to full maturity which results in them have a more meaty texture and earthy flavour than their younger family members.
How to Cook With Portobello Mushrooms
Because of their large size and meaty texture, these mushrooms are fantastic grilled, baked, deep-fried, stuffed or used in a variety of pasta dishes or entrees. Because of their natural meatiness, Portobello mushrooms are great meat substitutes in many dishes.
Available at The Market From Unionville Mushrooms
Unionville Mushrooms is family owned and operated business that was established in 1972. With their mushroom farm in Stouffville, Ontario, Pasquale Calitri and his son-in-law Ralph Auciello have worked diligently throughout the years to build the name of Unionville Mushrooms to what it is today. Unionville Mushrooms follow conventional growing practices.
Shop White Mushrooms from Unionville
Shop Cremini Mushrooms from Unionville
Lentinus Edodes (Cultivated)
Shiitake Mushrooms
Shiitake mushrooms are known for their meaty flavor and texture, and thus work well in recipes such as stir-fries, soups, and stews. These mushrooms are native to East Asia and are therefore extremely popular in East Asian cuisine!
These mushrooms are easily recognized by their umbrella-like appearance.
Flavour Profile
Shiitake mushrooms have a soft, almost spongy quality with a woodsy, meaty flavour and texture when cooked. These mushrooms are best enjoyed cooked.
How to Cook With Shiitake Mushrooms
Shiitake mushrooms are meaty in both flavour and texture which makes them particularly well suited for hearty recipes like stir fries, soups and stew. Although their flavour is quite mild, it intensifies when these mushrooms are dried and can be used to flavour stocks.
Try using them in this tasty Mushroom Ragu recipe served with creamy polenta!
Available at The Market From Unionville Mushrooms
Unionville Mushrooms is family owned and operated business that was established in 1972. With their mushroom farm in Stouffville, Ontario, Pasquale Calitri and his son-in-law Ralph Auciello have worked diligently throughout the years to build the name of Unionville Mushrooms to what it is today. Unionville Mushrooms follow conventional growing practices.
Shop Shiitake Mushrooms from Unionville
Flammulina Velutipes (Cultivated)
Enoki Mushrooms
Enoki mushrooms are easily recognizable by their long, slender white stems and tiny, firm caps. You'll often see these in Asian cuisines, like ramen, but they are well suited for a variety of dishes from soups and salads to noodle dishes.
Flavour Profile
These string-like mushrooms have a delicate, savoury flavor and a delicious crunch from their thin strands that adds great texture.
How to Cook With Enoki Mushrooms
Add these tiny mushrooms to noodle dishes, soups or salads to add some delightful texture. These mushrooms do not require a lot of cooking time or heat to cook, so simply add them to your dish towards the end of cooking so they maintain that characteristic crunch.
Available at The Market From Enviro Mushrooms
Enviro Mushrooms is certified organic 150 000 sq foot facility in Burlington. Their mushrooms are grown in a sterilized organic culture (as opposed to manure) and employ high tech computer programming and stringent sanitary standards to ensure the mushrooms are free from contaminants.
Shop Enoki Mushrooms from Enviro Mushroom.
Pleurotus Eryngii (Cultivated)
King Oyster Mushrooms
King Oyster Mushrooms are a hearty mushroom that have a light tan cap with a thick white stem and can be eaten either raw or cooked.
Flavour Profile
King Oyster Mushrooms have a firm and meaty in texture with a delicate, woodsy flavour. When cooked, the meaty texture is comparable to seafood, such as calamari, which is why they are popularly used in place of meat or seafood in vegan and vegetarian recipes (we're dying to try this Oyster Mushroom Vegan Calamari recipe!).
How to Cook With King Oyster Mushrooms
King Oyster Mushrooms are great for BBQ, roasting, grilling, sautéing, deep frying and baking! Excellent for pasta, or paired with meat or seafood!
Available at The Market From Enviro Mushrooms
Enviro Mushrooms is certified organic 150,000 sq foot facility in Burlington. Their mushrooms are grown in a sterilized organic culture (as opposed to manure) and employ high tech computer programming and stringent sanitary standards to ensure the mushrooms are free from contaminants.
Shop King Oyster Mushrooms from Enviro Mushroom.
Pleurotus Ostreatus (Cultivated)
Oyster Mushrooms
Known for their delicate texture and savoury flavour, the oyster mushroom is a popular specialty mushroom and perfect substitute for meat in an array of dishes.
Flavour Profile
The flavor of oyster mushrooms is delicate and savory. When cooked, they have a mild and nutty, almost seafood-like flavor - hence the name!
How to Cook With Them
Oyster mushrooms are best enjoyed cooked. Although you can eat them raw, they can bring a somewhat metallic flavour to a dish. For this reason, they are best used sauteed, roasted, stir-fried, grilled, or in soups and stir fries. This mushroom is more delicate than meatier varieties, like Shiitake mushrooms, so be careful with the level of heat and the cooking time you use to cook this mushroom. Try adding them towards the end of your dish.
Available at The Market From Cookstown Greens
Cookstown Greens is a family-run, organic farm located 1 hour north of Toronto, in Essa township. They leave part of their land untouched and use non-intensive farming methods, which contributes to their farm’s biodiversity. They are well known for our quality and flavour of their products.
Shop Organic Blue Oyster Mushrooms from Cookstown.
Hericium Erinaceus (Cultivated)
Also known as Lion’s Mane Mushrooms, these mushrooms are both edible and medicinal. They are typically white and shaggy, with an appearance that resembles– you guessed it, a lion’s mane. Studies have shown that Lion's Mane mushroom extracts can significantly improve brain function, reducing the risk of developing degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's.
Flavour Profile
When cooked, Lion's Mane mushrooms are delicate, tender, juicy and meaty with a flavour and texture similar to crab meat!
How to Cook With Them
It's firm, yet flakey, texture is a perfect vehicle for holding onto bold flavours! Fry them up with some soy sauce, garlic and butter, use them in a stir fry or use them to make Vegan Crab Cakes.
Grifola Frondosa (Cultivated or Wild)
Maitake Mushrooms
Maitake, also known as "Hen of the Woods" mushrooms can be cultivated as well as wild foraged and are typically harvested and sold in clusters with delicate, soft overlapping caps.
Flavour Profile
Maitake mushrooms have a very savoury flavour profile with strong earthy, peppery flavours.
How to Cook With Them
Because of their robust savoury flavour, Maitake mushrooms are best enjoyed cooked and paired with salty and acidic flavours. Try them deep fried, roasted, sautéed or in soups! This mushroom is more delicate than meatier varieties, like Shiitake mushrooms, so be careful with the level of heat you use to cook this mushroom.
Morchella Esculenta (Wild)
Morrel Mushrooms
Morels are a variety of wild mushrooms commonly found in North America and other countries with temperate climates. They are very easily recognized by their unique sponge-like caps. You won't be likely to find these wild mushrooms in grocery stores, these mushrooms are usually wild foraged.
Flavour Profile
Morel mushrooms have a beautiful complex, rich earthy and nutty, woodsy and toasted flavour.
How to Cook With Them
Morels are hard to come by so when you get your hands on this beautiful wild mushroom, let it be the star of your dish and stick to simple ingredients and preparation. Sauteed in a pan with some butter, herbs and a bit of lemon juice is all you need.
Cantharellus Cibarius (Wild)
Chanterelle Mushrooms
You'll recognize these golden beauties by their buttery yellow hue. Chanterelle mushrooms are the most common edible wild mushroom around the globe. These mushrooms are known for being one of the most expensive mushroom varieties, largely because they need specific growing conditions.
Flavour Profile
Chanterelle mushrooms have unique flavour compared to other mushrooms. They are slightly fruity and can even have a hint of apricot or peach flavour (without the sweetness) and a peppery finish.
How to Cook With Them
These mushrooms are expensive and considered to be a delicacy. You really want to do as little with them as possible to really enjoy their beautiful flavour. Many of the flavour compounds in chanterelles are fat-soluble so keeping it simple and sautéing them in some butter is a great way to enjoy chanterelles.
Boletus Edulis (Wild)
Porcini Mushrooms
This rich, earthy and woodsy mushroom is another favourite of The Chef & The Dish team. The Porcini Mushroom is famously found across Italy, but also found in other European countries, North America and New Zealand. The soil is very important to growing quality porcini mushrooms, leading to a higher price tag. They're most commonly found dried in North America, but it's not unusual to find them fresh and preserved in jars across Italy. Nutty and dense, fresh Porcinis are something every gourmet or mushroom lover should try.
Flavour Profile
Porcini mushrooms are incredibly rich, earthy and woodsy in flavour. They are often described as pungent and provide an earthy depth of flavour to a dish.
How to Cook With Them
Because of their rich depth of flavour, they are a perfect to use to flavour stocks, stews, soups, gravies, risottos and more.
