You may have noticed an uptick in the popularity of mushrooms or mushroom products in the last couple of years, so what's all the buzz? Why have mushrooms become so highly sought-after and what are the benefits? We've put together all the facts about shrooms and why they're booming!
At Flora & Fauna, we stock a few mushroom brands such as Four Sigmatic, Life Cykel and Orchard St. As the demand for more mushroom products increases, so does our range! If you're into natural healing or just love a good mushy, you'll love this blog!
History of Mushrooms
There are said to be over 50,000 species of mushrooms, but not all of them are safe to eat. Most commonly, mushrooms are used for consumption in food and medicine. Mushrooms are in between the kingdoms of plants and animals and are classified as Fungi!
When were they first discovered?
Mushrooms have been eaten for hundreds of thousands of years.
Anthropologists studying the remains of a prehistoric woman found spores of several mushroom species embedded in her teeth. The remains are thought to have been buried around 18,700 years ago.
What is the 'Shroom Boom'?
It's no secret that edible mushrooms are booming, especially as restaurants and cafes are serving up plant-based food and specialty coffees containing mushrooms.
According to the Australian Horticulture Statistics Handbook, mushrooms had a production value of $456.6 million in Australia in 2018. The handbook also says 69% of households bought mushrooms, averaging 287g in each shop. While the consumption of mushrooms has plateaued in recent years, Matthew Fensom says the increasing focus on the health benefits of plant-based foods is expected to boost the market. - https://www.nswfarmers.org.au/
The global mushroom market reached a value of 53.7 Billion in 2019. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to reach a value of US$ 86.6 Billion by 2025. - www.businesswire.com
Benefits of Mushrooms
Other than their fantastic nutritional value that we'll delve into a little later on in this blog, mushrooms have brilliant natural healing abilities and are constantly being studied for their health benefits.
In fact, Psilocybin mushroom otherwise known as 'magic mushrooms' have been used in studies to treat depression, anxiety and help manage alcohol addiction.
At F&F, we're big fans of the Four Sigmatic range which includes mushroom drink mixes that can aid with relaxation, concentration and more.
If you're interested in reading more about the benefits of each specific mushroom, check out our blog Discover The Benefits of Mushrooms which breaks it all down for you.
Netherlands designer Maurizio Montalti (pictured) developed house-hold items like chairs, lampshades and slippers using fungi as an effort to replace less earth-friendly materials with a more sustainable one. Proving mushrooms are very versatile!
Life Cykel
Fungi fanatics Julian and Ryan co-founded Life Cykel in 2015 and since then have expanded their range offering mushroom coffee, extracts and grow kits (all available at F&F of course).
Life Cykel was initially developed to find a solution to reusing coffee waste from our espressos, lattes and flat whites. It turns out, mushrooms love coffee waste and thrive in it. Oyster mushrooms which are Life Cykels best-selling product are known as the 'vegetarian/vegan steak' as they contain B6, B12, iron and lots of other nutritional value.
The philosophy behind Life Cykel is local food that emphasises nutrition, health, happiness and waste utilisation.
This closed-loop system is powered by cafes donating their coffee grounds in exchange for fresh mushrooms, and so the cycle of growing mushrooms with coffee waste continues. Keeping coffee waste from landfill means less methane gas and a chance to be regenerated into a resource to grow food.
Orchard St
Founded by Kirsten Harvey, a qualified Naturopath, Herbalist and Nutritionist, Orchard St offers a wide range of vegan and cruelty-free products including natural health elixirs, tonics and mushroom products to support wellness.
Each product is naturopathically curated to elevate the body, mind and spirit. They are driven by integrity, community and their responsibility to the environment around us.
You can add them to your coffee, smoothies, baked goods, salads and more.
Which Mushrooms Can You Eat?
Mushrooms are packed with protein, flavour and vitamins, so it's no surprise that their popularity is on the rise and more people are adding them to their menu.
The most commonly eaten mushroom is the White Button Mushroom that you've likely had in a salad, stirfry or sauteed in a Sunday Brekky, but some newer types of mushrooms popping up in recipes are Chicken of the woods, Oyster mushrooms, Enoki Mushroom, Porcini Mushroom, Black Trumpet Mushroom and many more!
Breanne from our Customer Service team enjoys mushrooms sauteed in garlic and vegan butter on a piece of toast in the morning and if that doesn't make your mouth water, we don't know what will!
Grow Your Own Mushrooms
We've just brought on the fantastic brand Life Cykel that makes wonderful grow kits, our most popular kit being the Oyster Mushroom Grow Kit.
This kit allows you to grow your own fancy Oyster Mushrooms right on your kitchen bench. Simply spray your kit with water twice a day and keep out of direct sunlight. Your mushrooms will start to appear within 10-30 days!
If you liked this blog, make sure to check out our other blog on mushrooms Discover The Benefits of Mushrooms.
