— The Catalog · Twelve Varieties
Our full working catalog of culinary mushrooms — each profiled with its latin name, character, habitat and kitchen use. This is an educational reference: we describe varieties, we don’t sell them.
01 / VarietyAgaricus bisporus · cultivated
The fully mature form of the common button mushroom, grown wide and dense. Its open, dark gills and thick cap deliver deep, savory character — the reason it stands in for steak at so many tables.
02 / VarietyAgaricus bisporus · cultivated
The portabella’s younger sibling — harvested while still brown, firm and closed. Earthier than the white button, sturdier in the pan, and the quiet workhorse behind countless sauces and weeknight sautés.
03 / VarietyFlammulina filiformis · cultivated
Slender, delicate clusters grown in the dark for their snowy color and long stems. Mild and slightly sweet, they need barely a minute of heat — and bring elegance to broths, hot pots and salads.
04 / VarietyLentinula edodes · cultivated on oak
For centuries the pillar of East Asian kitchens. Broad brown caps with a smoky, umami depth that intensifies with drying. The stems are firm — save them for stock, cook the caps until the edges crisp.
05 / VarietyPleurotus ostreatus · cultivated & wild
Shell-shaped shelves that fruit in overlapping tiers on hardwood. Tender, with a faint anise sweetness and a cook-time measured in minutes. One of the easiest gourmet varieties to grow at home.
06 / VarietyHericium erinaceus · cultivated & wild
A cascade of white spines rather than gills, growing on wounded hardwoods. Its flesh shreds like crab or lobster when cooked gently — the most remarkable texture in the mushroom kingdom.
07 / VarietyPleurotus eryngii · cultivated
The largest of the oyster family, grown for its thick, meaty stem more than its modest cap. Sliced into coins and seared, it turns golden and dense — famously standing in for scallops.
08 / VarietyGrifola frondosa · cultivated & wild
The “dancing mushroom” — a ruffled, rose-like cluster found at the base of oaks. Rich and woodsy, with crisp tips and tender cores. Roast it whole; the edges turn almost fried-chicken crisp.
09 / VarietyCantharellus cibarius · wild, summer
Golden trumpets of the oak forest floor, scented faintly of apricot. Firm, almost fruity, and never (successfully) farmed — every chanterelle in a basket was found by a patient eye.
10 / VarietyMorchella esculenta · wild, spring
The honeycombed prize of spring — after burns, in old orchards, beneath elms. Nutty, meaty and hollow through the stem. Its arrival each year marks the true start of the forager’s calendar.
11 / VarietyBoletus edulis · wild, autumn
The “king bolete” — fat, chestnut-capped, with a spongy pore layer instead of gills. Deeply nutty and aromatic, it is the soul of Italian autumn cooking, fresh sliced thin or dried into intense powder.
12 / VarietyHypsizygus tessellatus · cultivated
Tight little clusters — brown or white beech mushrooms — with small caps and crunchy stems. Mildly nutty and holding their snap under heat, they finish ramen, stir-fries and noodle bowls beautifully.