Mushrooms, which have tens of thousands of varieties around the world, are food with a very high nutritional value. They are the best-known source of vegetable protein and a good alternative to meat. Mushrooms, which are especially rich in protein and iron, contain vitamins A, B, D, P, and K, as well as calcium, potassium, phosphorus, and copper minerals.

The first known instances of people eating mushrooms date back to 200 or 300 B.C. Mushrooms were first cultivated in France in the 16th century. Edible mushrooms, which grow spontaneously in nature and depend on seasons, are an important nutrient source for people in rural areas.

Most of the mushrooms consumed in many countries of the world as well as in Türkiye are collected from nature. However, the fact that some natural mushrooms are poisonous, and cannot be easily distinguished from the edible varieties, leads to issues that may even cause death.

Mushrooms are healthy food options because they are a good source of protein, do not contain cholesterol, have fibrillary structures, are rich in vitamins and minerals, and some of them contain beta-glucans, one of the bioactive molecules, according to “Mushrooms: Cultivation, Nutritional Value, Medicinal Effect, and Environmental Impact” by Philip G. Miles and Shu-ting Chang. With the increase in the demand for healthy and safe foods in the world, mushroom cultivation has turned into an important industry branch and natural mushroom picking has become a fun and money-making activity. Especially in rural areas, low-cost production and collection from nature can be a source of income for some families.

Mushrooms boast more than 100,000 species and their sizes vary. Since fungi are primarily spore-reproducing (cryptogamous) organisms. The part of them that appears above the ground is actually the fruit of the fungi designed to spread the spores.

Mushrooms are also used for a variety of purposes. Reishi mushrooms are the most well-known mushroom used for medical treatment. Read more: https://bit.ly/3HyBkto