Mushrooms are one of the most common ingredients used in numerous dishes. They may not have a flavorful taste on their own but when mixed with other ingredients, they add a unique texture to the dish.

Unlike what some people believe, the mushroom is not a vegetable. It is produced by a fungus that grows on a decaying material. In the 1960s, it was reclassified into the Kingdom of Fungi, a so-called hidden kingdom. Today, however, it is cultivated in a controlled environment, specifically in a windowless building with even temperature and humidity.

As of 2008, the top five mushroom-producing countries in the world based on the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) statistics are China at number one followed by the U.S., the Netherlands, Poland and France. [Read more…]