An edible mushroom is a mushroom that can potentially be safely eaten, including thousands of types of mushrooms that are regularly harvested. Some species that can't be easily cultivated, such as the truffle or matsutake, are highly prized. On the other hand, some edible mushrooms may have extremely bad taste, such as the Bitter bolete mushroom.
   Before assuming that any wild mushroom is edible, check safety rules and be sure of its identification.

History of mushroom use

Current culinary use

Commercially cultivated fungi

• Agaricus bisporus, also known as champignon and the button mushroom, the most extensively cultivated mushroom in the world, accounting for 38% of the world production of cultivated mushrooms. This species also includes the portobello and crimini mushrooms.
• Agaricus campestris
• Auricularia polytricha or Auricularia auricula-judae (Tree ear fungus), two closely related species of jelly fungi that are commonly used in Chinese cuisine.
• Flammulina velutipes, the "winter mushroom", also known as enokitake in Japan
• Gyromitra esculenta is cultivated by the Finns. This mushroom is deadly poisonous if eaten raw, but highly regarded when correctly prepared (see below).
• Hypsizygus tessulatus (also Hypsizygus marmoreus), called shimeji in Japanese, it's a common variety of mushroom available in most markets in Japan.
• Lentinus edodes, also known as shiitake, oak mushroom. Lentinus edodes is largely produced in Japan, China and South Korea. Lentinus edodes accounts for 10% of world production of cultivated mushrooms. Common in Japan, China, Australia and North America.
• Pleurotus species, The oyster mushroom and king trumpet mushroom. Pleurotus mushrooms are the second most important mushrooms in production in the world, 25% of total world production of cultivated mushrooms. Pleurotus mushrooms are world-wide, China is the major producer. Several species can be grown on carbonaceous matter such as straw or newspaper. In the wild they're usually found growing on wood.
  • Pleurotus cornucopiae
  • Pleurotus eryngii
  • Pleurotus ostreatus (Oyster mushroom)
• Sparassis crispa - recent developments have led to this being cultivated in California.
• Tremella fuciformis (Snow fungus), another type of jelly fungus that's commonly used in Chinese cuisine.
• Tuber species, (the truffle), Truffles belong to the ascomycete grouping of fungi. The truffle fruitbodies develop underground in mycorrhizal association with certain trees for example oak, poplar, beech, and hazel. Being difficult to find, trained pigs or dogs are often used to sniff them out for easy harvesting.
  • Tuber aestivum (Summer or St. Jean truffle)
  • Tuber brumale
  • Tuber magnatum (Piemont white truffle)
  • Tuber melanosporum (Perigord truffle)
• Volvariella volvacea (the "Paddy straw mushroom.") Volvariella mushrooms account for 16% of total production of cultivated mushrooms in the world.

Other edible fungi