Top 10 Legal Ways to Experience the Magic of Mushrooms

Mushrooms are delicious, loaded with nutrients, and serve as a low footprint meat substitute. But to cover all the bases about mushrooms would require a book, not a post. There are an estimated 14,000 types of mushrooms. Roughly 3,000 are edible and 700 have known medicinal properties. Also, fewer than one percent are recognized as poisonous (more about that soon).

For our purposes, we're obviously gonna avoid the poison and simply focus on the 10 types of mushrooms (organic, of course) you're most likely to encounter at your local health food store, market, or other source. But first, a little mushroom monologue:

Sure, they're fungus but all that potassium and selenium and B vitamins sure gives fungus a good name. You can buy your mushrooms, of course, but savvy granolas can do their own picking. The trick, my friends, is to learn what's edible and what's not. It's probably safer to just grow your own.

Keep reading to learn 10 Legal Ways to Experience the Magic of Mushrooms.

1. Button Mushroom

Button Mushrooms: Sometimes called a "white mushroom," this is the most widely cultivated, harvested, and distributed mushroom in the world. Try it in barley soup.

2. Chanterelle Mushroom

Chanterelle Mushroom: Golden in color and fleshy with a crisp, firm texture. Perfect with potatoes and shallots in a red wine sauce.

In Season: Just about any time except for late spring into early summer.

3. Enoki Mushroom

Enoki Mushroom: Extremely popular in Asia, enoki have a mild flavor...some say "fruity." Ideal for pan-frying with tofu.

4. Maitake Mushroom

Its name means "dance mushroom" and the maitake does indeed do a dance between its edible appeal and its sought-after medicinal uses (e.g. immune boosting). Stir-fry it with asparagus.

5. Morel Mushroom

Considered a "gourmet" mushroom (usually with a price to match), the morel contains a small amount of toxins and should not be eaten raw. Cook them Indian-style, with peas.

In Season: The morel season for most of the United States typically runs from early-to-mid April on through mid-June.

6. Oyster Mushroom

This robust mushroom with, of course, an oyster-like shape, is also esteemed for its medicinal properties (e.g. cholesterol reduction). It's dense, chewy texture will blend nicely with rice and avocados in a salad.

In Season: Spring and fall.

7. Porcini Mushroom

Sometimes called the "king" of mushrooms, the porcini, or cepe, is nutty and meaty with a distinctive aroma. Puts the mushroom in mushroom ragout.

In Season: August to November.

8. Portobello Mushroom

The Portobello is prized for its immense nutritional and medicinal properties, the mighty portobello is also a popular meat substitute. Grilling really brings out its hearty flavor.

9. Shiitake Mushroom

Sami Grover will do the honors for this one: "Shiitake are a nutritious, protein rich food with an incredibly meaty texture. And given the fact that we could all do with eating less meat, anything that satisfies our craving for flesh without the death of an animal can only be a good thing." Make shiitake one of the three mushrooms in 3-mushroom miso soup.

10. Wood Ear Mushroom

Yep, wood ear mushrooms can look like ears growing out of a tree but listen up: they also may act as an anticoagulant to thin the blood. Popular in Asian cooking, this thick-skinned mushroom adds texture and flavor to a sweet and sour soup.

Watch Emeril Green: Mother Earth Organic Mushrooms (Video)