While nutritionists are arguing about whether or not to eat mushrooms, we have collected thousands of recipes for their preparation and learned how to enjoy their taste. The most popular mushrooms in the world are champignons. Who are they - our true friends or hidden enemies? MedAboutMe will tell the whole truth about the favorites of the dinner table.
The very first champignons were seen in Italy more than 1000 years ago. Under natural conditions, they grow on moist soils - open space and forest edges. These are the first and one of the few mushrooms that can be grown in an artificial environment - specially equipped rooms.
In Europe, champignons began to be grown only in the 17th century. The Parisian farmers involved in their cultivation called them "Parisian" mushrooms. It was a very valuable product, available only to a select few. Its cost was high, and the mushrooms themselves were considered a delicacy. It is known that some monarchs even kept separate rooms where they cultivated delicious and fragrant mushrooms.
Today, the production of this product has been brought to full automaticity. Craftsmen get a rich harvest all year round! To do this, it is enough to have a basement with a ventilation system and maintaining a stable temperature. Mushrooms do not like heat and are wary of cold, but in general they are quite unpretentious.
The "soft" nature and delicate taste of champignons earned them the fame of the most sought-after mushroom product in Russia. Why are champignons useful - what is important to know about this product?
Today, artificially grown champignons are more often used for food. From the original mushrooms growing in natural conditions, they are distinguished by a less pronounced aroma, but the taste and useful properties are completely identical.
It is difficult to imagine a festive table that would not include this treat! We put thin plates of raw champignons on sandwiches, prepare salads from pickled mushrooms, add hats on legs to roasts and main dishes, and also stew, bake, salt and simply enjoy their delicate taste. What do we get from this?
13 Mushroom Facts You Should Know
1. Research by scientists has shown that champignons contain more than twenty amino acids, including 9 essential ones that enter the body only with food.
2. In China, Korea and Japan, champignons are used to treat eating disorders, bronchitis, arthritis, and to stop allergic reactions.
3. Mushrooms are rich in vitamins and minerals. Moreover, there are even more B vitamins in them than in young vegetables!
4. Fresh mushrooms are useful for people who have had inflammatory diseases. They speed up wound healing and help the body recover from infectious diseases.
5. Regular consumption of mushrooms helps to avoid headaches and delay migraine attacks, strengthens the immune system and improves immunity.
7. Japanese scientists have published data confirming the high content of arginine and lysine in champignons. These are special substances that have a beneficial effect on the mental abilities of a person, maintaining a good memory and clarity of mind in old age.
8. Mushrooms are devoid of fat, they have a minimum amount of carbohydrates and a lot of protein, vitamins and fiber. Therefore, they are sometimes called the ideal food for diabetics. Interestingly, these mushrooms also contain natural ones that help the body fight infections.
9. Mushrooms, as sources of protein, are useful to include in a diet for weight loss. If you reinforce it with active physical activity, weight loss will be faster.
10. Champignons are enriched with riboflavin or, as it is also called, vitamin B 2. They help maintain good vision and are good for eye health.
11. The composition of the delicious food also contains pantothenic acid - a component that relieves fatigue and replenishes strength, participates in metabolic processes in the body.
12. If you regularly include champignons in food, you can achieve lower cholesterol levels. They reduce the risk of atherosclerosis.
13. According to the observations of trichologists, one of the common causes of hair loss is anemia that occurs against the background of iron deficiency. Mushrooms are rich in this microelement, therefore they are recommended to be used for baldness.
Champignons, like all other species, are considered indigestible food. They are not recommended for people suffering from kidney and liver diseases, as they increase the load. And, of course, you should not include them in the food of young children, as unpleasant consequences are possible.
A crop purchased from mushroom pickers from the hands can be deadly dangerous. Experts say that poisonous mushrooms can be confused with young champignons - pale grebe and light types of fly agaric.
You can recognize dangerous food by the presence of Volvo in the upper part of the leg and always white caps. It is important to remember that champignons growing in natural conditions darken and turn slightly pink as they mature.
Carefully!
You can not buy mushrooms that grow along the roads and in the city. Such foods not only will not please your body, but can also become a source of poisoning and poor health.
Fresh and fragrant mushrooms make excellent sauces, they can be added to gravies and soufflés, used as a filling for pies and dumplings, or introduced into main dishes.
In order for mushrooms to retain their natural taste, they cannot be washed in advance. If you want to delay cooking for a few hours, wrap them in paper and put them in a plastic container in the refrigerator. But remember: fresh champignons cannot be stored for more than seven days!
Interestingly, wild-growing champignons become dryish-fleshy when frying, which does not happen with mushrooms grown artificially. But on the other hand, “wild” mushrooms have such an aroma that only a “real” product can boast of, which has absorbed the aroma of the forest and managed to enjoy the warmth of the sun.
What to cook from champignons: 3 signature dishes
9 large champignons wash, dry, separate the caps from the legs.
Separately prepare Feta cheese - grate 200 g on a coarse grater. Grind 250 g of pitted olives in a blender, cut the mushroom stalks, chop a bunch of parsley and a few sprigs of basil. Combine all of the above with half a glass of dry white wine, season with black pepper and fill the mushroom caps with the resulting mixture.
Put stuffed mushrooms on a baking sheet greased with vegetable oil and bake for 15 minutes in an oven preheated to 180 degrees. When serving, garnish with parsley leaves.
mushroom pate
Finely chop 400 g of mushrooms, 1 onion and 1 carrot and stew in vegetable oil for 7 minutes. Then salt, season with spices and hold on fire for the same amount. Cool the mass, transfer it to a blender bowl, add 200 g of soft cottage cheese and grind everything. Delicious and fragrant ready! Keep refrigerated.
Mushroom julienne
Cut 350 grams of champignons into slices and fry in olive oil until a crust appears. In a separate bowl, sauté chopped vegetables in oil - 1 onion and 1 carrot.
In 1 liter of boiling water, dip the diced processed cheese - 200 g, boil for three minutes until completely dissolved, then add the prepared mushrooms and vegetables, as well as pepper and bay leaf.
Boil for 15 minutes, add salt to taste, chopped greens - a bunch of parsley and onion feathers. Keep on fire for another 3 minutes and let the julienne brew for 20 minutes. When serving, you can add sour cream.
