The Most Common Culinary Mushrooms & Suggested Recipes

For far too long in American cuisine have mushrooms gone unnoticed. Around the world, mushrooms are an international treasure, one that defies language. No shade to button mushrooms, but there are so many flavorful and adaptable varieties in the fungi kingdom beyond the basic.

While the idea of adding a trendy new green leafy vegetable to your diet may sound more appealing than a fungus, edible mushrooms are an incredible superfood group packed with health benefits. They’re low in calories, fat, sodium, and even cholesterol-free. They also are immune supporters, supplying you with vitamins, minerals, and the fiber your body needs.

There are tens of thousands of different types of mushrooms. This list is an overview of the most common ones you can cook with at home to the wild mushrooms you’ll see in your farmer’s markets to the fancier varieties in restaurants.

Beech mushroom

Beech mushrooms are small and delicate, growing in clusters or “bouquets” with brown caps. While we call them “beech” in Western cuisine, most species fall under the umbrella of the Japanese “shimeji mushroom,” the most sought edible mushroom in Asia. They have a slightly crunchy texture with an umami, nutty flavor when cooked, but are bitter when raw. They’re often added whole to stir-fries or soups for bite. To cook, break the bouquets into individual stems.

• Recommended recipe: Hot and Sour Beech Mushroom Rolls
• Genius use: Pickled Mushrooms with Black Pepper and Lemon Grass
• Learn more: The Complete Guide to Beech Mushrooms

Black Trumpet mushroom

Also known as “black chanterelles,” these mushrooms are found across the U.S. Growing in the West year-round and sprouting late summer in the Midwest and East, this species of mushrooms is a trophy find for foragers and gourmet chefs. Prized for their smoky, earthy flavor, they’re delicious sautéed in pasta or risotto dishes where you can taste their similarity to truffles.

• Recommended recipe: Black Trumpet Mushroom Risotto
• Genius use: Homemade Black Trumpet Mushroom Salt
• Learn more: The Complete Guide to Black Trumpet Mushrooms

Button mushroom

Button mushrooms are the most common mushrooms in Western cuisine, making up about 90 percent of the mushrooms we eat in the U.S. Known as white button mushrooms, button mushrooms are the immature state of Agaricus bisporus, which is also cremini and portobello mushrooms at different ages. The mild flavor and firm texture mean it can be eaten raw or cooked, making appearances in salads, soups, gravies and sauces, and more.

• Recommended recipe: Garlic Butter Roasted Mushrooms
• Genius use: Button Mushrooms à la Crème
• Learn more: The Complete Guide to Button Mushrooms

Chanterelle mushroom

Chanterelles are native to North America and can be found wild in the Pacific Northwest in abundance from late spring to early fall. In fact, the state mushroom of California is the golden chanterelle, chosen by popular vote. Beloved by foragers, this golden beauty has an fruity, apricot scent that renders into an earthy flavor once cooked. Beware of false chanterelles, however, and consult with a foraging expert before indulging in your find.

• Recommended recipe: Chanterelle Mushrooms with Herb Potatoes
• Genius use: Winter Chanterelle Broth with Pasta
• Learn more: The Complete Guide to Chanterelle Mushrooms

Chicken of the Woods mushroom

Chicken of the Woods are native to North America and Europe and can be found on usually oaks during the summer and fall. Vegetarians and vegans are longtime fans of this beautiful fungus known for its meaty texture and taste, which fares well with grilling and with frying to truly mimic meat. You can usually only find it in farmer’s markets and foraging, but be sure to consult an expert before consuming because it has toxic lookalikes.

• Recommended recipe: Butter Chicken of the Woods
• Genius use: Chicken Fried Chicken of the Woods
• Learn more: The Complete Guide to Chicken of the Woods

Cremini mushroom

Cremini mushrooms are the mature mushroom varieties of button mushroom, but are still younger than portobellos. With a fuller flavor and dark brown caps, these are excellent in mushroom recipes where you want a meatier texture and a more pronounced mushroom taste, think pasta sauces or flatbread pizzas. They also hold up well when simmered in soups and stews, even maintaining a bite in the the slow cooker.

• Recommended recipe: Creamy Mushroom Pasta
• Genius use: Hot Stuffed Cremini Mushrooms
• Learn more: The Complete Guide to Cremini Mushrooms

Enoki mushroom

Enoki mushrooms are a staple in Chinese and Japanese dishes, and its Chinese name means “golden noodle mushroom.” They grow wild, but can also be cultivated at home. These long-stemmed beauties are similar to beech mushrooms with their bouquets, but these stems are even smaller and thinner. Their crunchy texture and light, fruity flavor lends itself well to hot pots or ramen dishes

• Recommended recipe: Noodles with Enoki Mushroom Sauce and Scallions
• Genius use: Fried Enoki Mushrooms with Chili Oil
• Learn more: The Complete Guide to Enoki Mushrooms

Hedgehog mushroom

Native to the West Coast, hedgehog mushrooms are known as the “sweet tooth mushroom” because they have a sweet, nutty taste that is similar to chanterelles. Be sure to consume early, however, because they turn bitter as they age. Underneath their yellow and orange caps, you’ll find a toothy structure that drips down instead of the classic horizontal gills usually found. They’re great with a simple sauté.

• Recommended recipe: Hedgehog Mushroom Soup with Beans, Watercress, and Tomato
• Genius use: Potato Pancakes with Hedgehog Mushrooms
• Learn more: The Complete Guide to Hedgehog Mushrooms

King Trumpet mushroom

King trumpet mushrooms, also known as king oysters, are part of the oyster family, but are the most renowned culinary variety. These bad boys have a thick, meaty stem that can be sliced lengthwise to create planks for sandwiches or slice the stems into coins and fry them. Most versatile with a mild flavor profile, they can be sliced and grilled, sautéed, or used in stir-fries, making an excellent meat substitute for vegan dishes. You can usually find them in Asian grocery stores.

• Recommended recipe: Soy Butter Glazed King Oyster Mushrooms
• Genius use: King Oyster Mushroom Vegan Scallops
• Learn more: The Complete Guide to King Trumpet Mushrooms

Lion’s Mane mushroom

The breakout star of medicinal and culinary mushrooms, lion’s mane mushrooms grow on tree trunks in big, shaggy bulbs. They resemble the toothy shapes on the underside of hedgehog mushrooms, and they are a forager’s delight. Bearing an uncanny flavor resemblance to shellfish like lobster and crab, this mushroom is a vegetarian’s dream for mimicking seafood recipes from scallops to crab cakes.

• Recommended recipe: Lion’s Mane Mushroom Steaks with Balsamic Pan Sauce
• Genius use: Lion’s Mane Mushroom Crab Cakes
• Learn more: The Complete Guide to Lion’s Mane Mushrooms

Lobster mushroom

Known for the vibrant orange-red color, these mushrooms also have a seafood-like taste that packs a punch in all sorts of dishes when you’re looking for that extra bit of umami. Like chaga and cordyceps, this mushroom isn’t technically a mushroom but a fungus. Not typically found in stores, this is one variety you can find in specialty grocers.

• Recommended recipe: Lobster Mushroom Rolls
• Genius use: Lobster Mushroom Ceviche
• Learn more: The Complete Guide to Lobster Mushrooms

Maitake mushroom

Also known in the U.S. as hen of the woods, maitake mushrooms are sought out worldwide for their incredible rich, earthy flavor and tender texture. Native to Asia and the Eastern U.S., they grow in groups that look like cabbage. They can be enjoyed raw and have more health benefits than usually found in culinary mushrooms. It’s even been recorded in medical texts dating back to 200 AD. They’re not to be confused with matsutake mushrooms, a highly valuable variety in Japan.

• Recommended recipe: Seared Maitake Mushrooms
• Genius use: Maple Roasted Maitake Mushrooms with Butter Miso Mashed Potatoes and Rapini
• Learn more: The Complete Guide to Maitake Mushrooms

Morel mushroom

A darling of French and Italian cuisine and a forager’s true prize, wild morchellas are one of the most beloved culinary mushrooms. They grow annually in the springtime in the Midwest and the western U.S., setting off a wildcrafting frenzy where they appear around areas previously overcome with wildfires. With its honeycomb-like caps, firm texture, and nutty flavor, it’s one of those perfect little mushrooms that can convince even the staunchest fungi-hater. You can buy dried morels throughout the year.

• Recommended recipe: Chesapeake Crab Stuffed Morel Mushrooms
• Genius use: Fried Morels and Lemon Crema
• Learn more: The Complete Guide to Morel Mushrooms

Oyster mushroom

Yellow oyster, pink oyster, black oyster, you name it! Oyster mushrooms aren’t just simply oysters, they’re an entire genus of edible mushrooms. One of the easiest to grow at home, many grow kits feature the colorful varieties of oyster mushrooms. These versatile mushrooms have a mild, delicate aroma and flavor, seamlessly lending their profile to any dish they star in.

• Recommended recipe: Pan-Fried Green Herb Oyster Mushrooms
• Genius use: Fried Oyster Mushrooms (Vegan Fried Chicken)
• Learn more: The Complete Guide to Oyster Mushrooms

Porcini mushroom

Known in Italian as “hog mushrooms,” these deliciously sought-after mushrooms have a reddish-brown cap and white, thick stems. They grow wild in France and Italy, making them staples in European cuisine, and their woody flavor is different from the usual earthiness of other varieties. You can usually find dried porcinis in the U.S., but fresh ones will cost a pretty penny.

• Recommended recipe: Seriously Creamy Porcini Mushroom Risotto
• Genius use: Grilled Porcini Mushrooms with Mint and Garlic
• Learn more: The Complete Guide to Porcini Mushrooms

Portobello mushroom

Also spelled portabella mushrooms, these large and meaty fungi have a rich flavor that suits so many different recipes and flavor profiles. The most mature of the button and cremini mushroom varieties, these flat cap mushrooms can be swapped for meat in any dish or style, from an open-faced “roast beef” sandwich to stuffed and grilled.

• Recommended recipe: Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
• Genius use: Scalloped Portobello Mushrooms
• Learn more: The Complete Guide to Portobello Mushrooms

Shiitake mushroom

A staple mushroom in Asian cuisines, shiitakes have a rich, smoky flavor that only gets better when cooked. While wild varieties have a more delicate taste, cultivated varieties (read: most of what we cook with) are more intense. The stems are tough and usually removed before cooking. Bonus? They’ve been found to reduce the effects of aging via oxidative stress in a new study.

• Recommended recipe: Yaki Shiitake Ponzu-zoe (Grilled Shiitake with Ponzu Dressing)
• Genius use: Spinach-Shiitake Bread Puddings
• Learn more: The Complete Guide to Shiitake Mushrooms

Mushrooms are an invaluable ingredient in the culinary world. Each variety has a unique flavor and texture, bringing dishes to new heights when incorporated correctly. Next time you’re craving a shroomy recipe, challenge yourself to try a new variety instead of your go-to and surprise yourself.

Apart from their boosts in the culinary world, mushrooms are incredibly healthy for us. While more studies are published every day, we’ve only scratched the surface of just how good mushrooms and other fungi are for our minds and bodies.