Portobello Mushroom

Also known asPortabella · Portobella

Name: Portobello mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) — the fully mature form of the common cultivated mushroom, with a large, flat, brown cap up to 15 cm wide, dark open gills and a firm texture. It is the same species as white button and cremini mushrooms.

Description

The portobello is the mature stage of the cremini mushroom, allowed to grow bigger and open up. The mushroom was marketed as portobello from the 1980s, partly to make a surplus of overgrown brown mushrooms more appealing, and the name caught on, becoming a popular meat substitute in vegetarian burgers.

Portobello caps have a deep, meaty, earthy flavour and a dense, chewy texture, which are strong enough to stand in for steak or burger patties. The dark gills can turn dishes dark and are sometimes scraped out.

Main nutrition value

Portobello mushrooms provide B vitamins, potassium, selenium and copper, with fibre and little fat, and are very low in calories.

How best to be consumed

Portobellos are large and meaty, and suit grilling and stuffing.

1. Grill or roast whole caps with olive oil, garlic and balsamic, and serve in burgers.
2. Stuff with cheese, breadcrumbs and herbs, then bake.
3. Slice into fajitas, stir-fries, pasta sauces and stews.
4. Scrape out the dark gills if you want a lighter-coloured dish.
5. Wipe clean rather than soaking, and cook within a few days.

Overconsumption could cause…

Portobello mushrooms are safe when cooked.

1. Allergic reactions or digestive upset in some people, and stomach discomfort from the fibre (chitin) and sugars in mushrooms in large servings.
2. Digestive upset from eating mushrooms raw, since cooking breaks down their tough cell walls and destroys natural irritants.
3. Possible contamination of raw cultivated mushrooms with agaritine, which cooking reduces.
4. Fillings that add a lot of fat, salt or cheese.

GroupsMushroomsFungi (mushrooms)Low fatLow sodiumRich in seleniumFresh

Related foodsCremini MushroomMaitake MushroomMorel MushroomWhite Button MushroomChanterelle MushroomOyster Mushroom

Wikipedia — Agaricus bisporus, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agaricus_bisporus