Gourmet Mushrooms

The Best Gourmet Mushrooms (And What to Cook With Them)

When most people think about mushrooms, they probably think about what they see in the produce aisle of their local specialty food market - those are gourmet mushrooms!

There are numerous species of edible gourmet mushrooms that serve as an amazing addition to household dishes due to their unique taste, nutritional value, and fun textures.

In this web posting, we’re going to give you some more information about what gourmet mushrooms are, where to source them from, and the various species to consider trying for yourself.

Bon appetit! Let’s dive in..

What are gourmet mushrooms?

Gourmet mushrooms are commonly known as edible mushrooms. Many people have eaten white mushrooms which are commonly found in the produce aisle of major grocery stores (think the little white, button mushrooms that are in plastic-wrapped packaging), but many species of gourmet mushrooms are not as commonplace. Whether they’re grown in the wild or cultivated by small-scale farmers, many gourmet mushroom species are rare and, therefore, may be very expensive to purchase.

Which leads us to..

Where to source gourmet mushrooms from

Besides the mainstream mushrooms you can find and purchase at almost every major grocery store chain in the country, many gourmet mushrooms are grown by small-scale farmers and sold at local markets. You can also find some gourmet mushroom species in the wild - but it’s super important to know what you’re doing if you decide to take the foraging for your food route.

For the purposes of this web page, and for everyone’s utmost safety, we’re going to focus on the best places to source and purchase the highest quality gourmet mushrooms for you to bring home and enjoy in your kitchen. Those places include:

Local mushroom farm: You may not know it, but there are high chances that if you live in a rural area, you may have someone that is growing gourmet mushrooms right under your nose. Whether it’s a farm that focuses solely on mushrooms or a nearby farmer who grows every vegetable, fruit, and fungi they possibly can, local farms are a wonderful place to source gourmet mushrooms from, and we are based in Leicestershire offering this service.

Specialty supermarket: If you’re in a more urban or suburban area, perhaps you have access to a specialty supermarket - this could range from your local co-op to an Asian grocery store. These grocery stores will likely feature a range of mushrooms and may even source them from a farm located in your state. All you have to do is Google “specialty grocer or supermarket near me”, find the best option, and ask one of their staff about the store’s gourmet mushroom selection. Bada-bing-bada-boom.

Farmer’s market: Support your region’s local farmers by heading out to the nearest farmer’s market near you. Simply Google “Farmer’s market near me” and chances are you’ll find an amazing option where you can explore your local farmer community’s mushroom selection.

Grow them yourself: A less common, but super fun and educational option for sourcing mushrooms is to grow them yourself! Of course, this will take some time and involves some hands-on work, but if you’re up for the challenge, we say power to you. Gourmet mushrooms can be grown indoors from the comfort of your home by purchasing a grow kit. If you take this route, get in touch to let us know how it goes for you! We’re always excited when people decide to be a fun guy and grow their own fungi.

Of course, you can purchase some types of gourmet mushrooms at your local chain grocer, but if you want the highest quality, we recommend sourcing your fungi from one of the above options.

Let’s get into the various species of gourmet mushrooms that we suggest you give a try.