Porcini A Mushrooms

porcini mushrooms

In addition to “nutty” and “earthy,” the most common descriptor for the taste of porcini mushrooms is “meaty,” which also applies to their texture. Perhaps that adjective has something to do with the mushroom’s impressive protein content: 7 grams for one 1-ounce serving. Not surprisingly, porcinis are a favorite gourmet addition to any vegan diet. They also offer other health benefits, including substantial dietary fiber and anti-inflammatory compounds.

Although these mushrooms grow wild in much of the Northern Hemisphere, they do not adapt readily to commercial cultivation and have a short shelf life (about two days). These quirks explain why it’s easier to find dried (like ours) rather than fresh specimens. Fortunately, they stand up well to drying and rehydrating, In fact, the drying process concentrates that meaty flavor. The cultivation difficulty traces back to this mushroom’s mycorrhizal form of growth. Below ground, porcinis send out a fungal sheath enveloping nearby tree roots. That sheath becomes the medium for a mutually beneficial exchange of nutrients. Without all those tree roots, this substantial mushroom, which can weigh more than 6 pounds, wouldn’t have its substantial flavor notes.

It’s unclear whether the mushroom got its Italian name, meaning “piglet,” from its roly-poly resemblance to pigs or from the fondness wild pigs have for this taste treat. What is clear is that porcinis have been enhancing man’s diet for a long time. Ancient Romans wrote about the tastiness of the “hog mushroom.”

After soaking the dried mushrooms in hot water for 20 minutes, add them to soups, stews and pasta sauces. Save the soaking water to lend flavor to other soup recipes.