Have you ever felt treated like a mushroom? Kept in the dark and fed sh*t..
Well now the joke is on everyone else because mushrooms have been revealed as little balls of white wonder.
The Chinese have known it for about 3,000 years but western scientists have finally established to their satisfaction that mushrooms are a nutritional powerhouse.
The list of mushroom benefits is so long and impressive I could almost imagine it includes world peace. There's the ability to reduce the risk of certain cancers and cardiovascular disease, to improve immune function and protect people against dementia. More on the plus side for mushrooms - they provide 20 per cent of daily needs for B vitamins, they are packed with essential nutrients, full of powerful antioxidants, low in kilojoules, virtually fat free and super low GI.
No idea about what any of this means? Don't worry, just eat three medium button mushrooms a day and you're on the right track.
Australian Mushroom Growers General Manager, Greg Seymour told us yesterday that research, funded by mushroom growers and the Federal Government, was looking to build on the discoveries with human trials.
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| Great event staging by JKPR with a long table in front of the cinema screen at Palace Barracks. |
"We have come a long way since people viewed mushrooms simply as meat for vegetarians."
Here's a few mushroom facts to share over the dinner table -
- a mushroom is not a fruit or a vegetable
- mushrooms can help control weight as they are low GI, low kJ and satisfy the appetite
- mushrooms (compared to vegetables) rank in the top five for antioxidant capacity.
- mushrooms are the only non-animal fresh food to naturally contain vitamin D
- published Australian research links mushroom consumption to reduced breast cancer risk
- just three mushrooms provides over 30 per cent of the daily need for many B vitamins
- mushrooms are one of the few non-animal foods with the powerful antioxidant ergothioneine
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| Chef Trent and Nicolas Cooper of Deer Duck Bistro |
Yesterday's lunch menu prepared by Nicholas Cooper of Deer Duck Bistro was six mushroom courses including dessert! Here's what we ate starting with Pop corn with mushroom and truffle butter above.
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| mushroom and duck liver parfait on brioche |
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| Mushroom custard with dried mushroom broth |
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| Deer in the forest - venison and mushroom crepinette, spinach, pine nuts, chocolate soil, growing mushrooms, game chips |
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| Choc top mushroom ice cream |
This recipe uses big field mushrooms and prawns with a simple dressing for a wow result.