Edible Medicinal Mushrooms are a Perfect Merger of Food and Health

The result? Since 1990, more than 10,000 papers have been published on the effects of mushroom intake on human health. In addition to strong scientific support for the role beta-glucans can play in immune function, recent animal studies demonstrated that dietary supplementation with white button mushrooms could help enhance immune cell activity, potentially conferring protection against viral infections. According to Datassential, mushrooms are the number one topper on steak and chicken, and the number one “extra” vegetable topper on burgers (as opposed to the common lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, etc.). Building on traditional culinary techniques and that symbiotic relationship, The Mushroom Council partnered with the Culinary Institute of America to determine how to deliver the nutrients of mushrooms to consumers without sacrificing flavor. Since ground or finely diced mushrooms look, act, and perform similarly to ground meat, it turned out that blending the two together could allow formulators to craft such iconic foods as burgers, meatballs, meatloaf, and tacos in a manner that enhances flavor.