143
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature
Switzerland AG 2021
X. Dai et al. (eds.), Fungi in Sustainable Food Production, Fungal Biology,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64406-2_9
Chapter 9
Mushrooms as Edible Foods
Gerardo Díaz-Godínez and Maura Téllez-Téllez
9.1 Introduction
Most fungi are multicellular, showing microscopic tubular filaments called “hyphae”
that branch and cross over to form the “mycelium” (vegetative phase), which absorb
nutrients from their immediate environment. The hyphae of the ascomycete and
basidiomycete fungi are divided into cellular cross-walls called septa. A mushroom
is the fruiting body or sporocarp, which results from the organization of hyphae
where spores are produced, which is why it is the reproductive phase of the fungus.
The mushroom has been defined as “a macrofungus with a distinctive fruiting body,
which may be hypogeous or epigeous, large enough to be seen with the naked eye
and to be picked by hand” (Chang and Miles 1992).
In the fungi species that are considered edible, the fruiting body is usually the
material that is consumed. There are many species that are highly appreciated for
their flavor and nutritional value, and some mushrooms are considered nutraceuticals because of the benefits they have for the health of those who consume them.
There are many species of edible mushrooms that are cultivated and others that are
wild. The edible wild mushrooms have been collected and consumed for thousands
of years by humans, considering them important in their diet, the archaeological
records show the relation that the populations had with their consumption, and with
the passage of time, many fungi have been domesticated and produced worldwide.
It has been considered that mushrooms are non-timber products of great
G. Díaz-Godínez
Research Center for Biological Sciences, Autonomous University of Tlaxcala,
Tlaxcala, Mexico
M. Téllez-Téllez (*)
Biological Research Center, Autonomous University of the State of Morelos,
Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
e-mail: maura.tellez@uaem.mx
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature
Switzerland AG 2021
X. Dai et al. (eds.), Fungi in Sustainable Food Production, Fungal Biology,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64406-2_9
Chapter 9
Mushrooms as Edible Foods
Gerardo Díaz-Godínez and Maura Téllez-Téllez
9.1 Introduction
Most fungi are multicellular, showing microscopic tubular filaments called “hyphae”
that branch and cross over to form the “mycelium” (vegetative phase), which absorb
nutrients from their immediate environment. The hyphae of the ascomycete and
basidiomycete fungi are divided into cellular cross-walls called septa. A mushroom
is the fruiting body or sporocarp, which results from the organization of hyphae
where spores are produced, which is why it is the reproductive phase of the fungus.
The mushroom has been defined as “a macrofungus with a distinctive fruiting body,
which may be hypogeous or epigeous, large enough to be seen with the naked eye
and to be picked by hand” (Chang and Miles 1992).
In the fungi species that are considered edible, the fruiting body is usually the
material that is consumed. There are many species that are highly appreciated for
their flavor and nutritional value, and some mushrooms are considered nutraceuticals because of the benefits they have for the health of those who consume them.
There are many species of edible mushrooms that are cultivated and others that are
wild. The edible wild mushrooms have been collected and consumed for thousands
of years by humans, considering them important in their diet, the archaeological
records show the relation that the populations had with their consumption, and with
the passage of time, many fungi have been domesticated and produced worldwide.
It has been considered that mushrooms are non-timber products of great
G. Díaz-Godínez
Research Center for Biological Sciences, Autonomous University of Tlaxcala,
Tlaxcala, Mexico
M. Téllez-Téllez (*)
Biological Research Center, Autonomous University of the State of Morelos,
Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
e-mail: maura.tellez@uaem.mx