Do you think of button mushrooms as “the boring ones”? Passing by the mushroom display at the farmers’ market in Vancouver, and admiring the cases of mushrooms – enoki, morel, oyster, shiitake, chantrelle, pine, lion’s mane, and so many more, I know how spoilt for choice I am.
I’m also reminded that I’m guilty, all too often, of passing over those little white button mushrooms in favour of other more exotic choices. I guess I have come to think of them as a little boring. They’re cheap and plentiful, and, as a result, often end up being used somewhat indifferently. It’s time to refresh my appreciation for the good old button!
Button mushrooms are something I associate with growing up in India, and it got me thinking of recipes, dating back to a time when they were generally considered a bit of a fancy ingredient. Of course, if the family happened to be in Coorg at the right time of year, we’d get to enjoy the wonderful wild mushrooms in season. Otherwise, living in a city, or tucked away in a small cantonment town, we were glad enough to have any fresh mushrooms at all.