16 Unique Mushroom Dishes Found Around The World

Throughout history, humans have had a complex relationship with mushrooms. Of the estimated 5 million species of fungi on the planet, only 38,000 are mushrooms. Of those, 50 percent are inedible, 25 percent are edible but not very tasty, 20 percent will cause mild illness, 4 percent are delectable, and 1 percent will result in immediate death. 

It has taken a lot of trials for humans to determine which mushrooms are safe to consume. The first evidence of mushroom consumption, or mycophagy, dates back to a few hundred years B.C. in China. Back then, humans likely consumed mushrooms for medicinal purposes.

Until the invention of Haute cuisine in the mid-19th century by George Auguste Escoffier, few in the western world consumed mushrooms. Many western civilizations were mycophobic. However, once mushrooms became popularized by the French, their regular consumption quickly expanded across the globe. Now mushrooms are found in the culinary traditions of virtually every country on the planet thanks to globalization and the expansion in popularity of foraging for mushrooms as a hobby.

While the button mushroom is the most frequently consumed worldwide, other mushroom varieties make their way into the kitchens of households globally. Recipes for mushrooms are as diverse as humanity itself, often representing the distinct religious, ethnic, and cultural heritages of a group of people. This is why exploring a country's unique mushroom recipes is such a fascinating way to learn about its people.

The Greeks love to create a pie or "pita" out of a myriad of ingredients stuffed delicately into layer after crispy layer of phyllo dough. Spanakopita, or spinach pie, is perhaps the most famous variation of the pita but other popular variations also exist. These include hortopita (made with wild greens); kolokithopita (made with pumpkin); and kreatopita (made with meat). It should come as no surprise that there's also a mushroom variation of pita called manitaropita.

This recipe originated in the northern region of Greece known as Kastoria. Originally it would have been made using locally foraged wild mushrooms, but in modern-day Greece, widely available cultivated mushrooms are used instead. The recipe commonly involves sautéeing a combination of sliced mushrooms and onions with fresh and dried herbs, garlic, paprika, and feta. 

The filling is tucked gently between sheets of phyllo dough doused in copious quantities of melted butter. Once the pie is baked until golden brown, it is cooled slightly before being sliced and served. The result is a crispy unctuous umami-filled appetizer representative of the complexity typical of Greek cuisine.

India is a vast country representing numerous different religions, dialects, and food habits. The region of northern India is replete with fresh produce, and the cuisine tends toward vegetarian fare. Ingredients like onion, ginger, and garlic are common in curries loaded with cumin, turmeric, and coriander. It is this culinary background that led to the creation of rogani kumbh. Rogani refers to the red color conferred by the tomato sauce, and kumbh is the word for mushrooms.

This stew is generally served atop white rice and garnished with yogurt. It takes advantage of the abundant selection of mushrooms found throughout India, including portobello, shiitake, oyster, enoki, shimeji, porcini, and paddy straw. While curries in India can be spicy, this particular recipe isn't typically one of those. It gets its robust flavor from the earthy mushrooms delicately mixed with spices and aromatics. We recommend making some homemade garlic naan to go alongside this delectable stew.

Hungary is a tiny country in eastern Europe that has historically undergone constant upheaval. The borders have shifted so often throughout its tumultuous history that a third of native Hungarians no longer live within the country (via BBC News). This turbulence has had profound ramifications for Hungarian cuisine. 

Certain foods are uniquely Hungarian, while others have distinct regional differences. These differences directly correlate with the displacement of those close to ever-shifting borders. The Szekely population is one of these groups who inhabit the area known as Transylvania, which currently is a part of Romania but was once a part of Hungary. It is from this area that the mushroom soup Szekelyderzs was born.

This rich mushroom soup takes advantage of Hungary's long love affair with mushrooms of all types, particularly Amanitaceae. Hungarians have used these mushrooms for medicinal and culinary purposes for centuries. Mushroom foraging is a popular pastime, yielding a rich diversity of mushrooms for making this soup. 

This soup incorporates plenty of ingredients like dill, sour cream, and Hungarian smoked paprika, accentuating the earthiness of the mushrooms. This soup is often eaten as an entrée with crusty bread, although you could serve it as a starter.

Italian cuisine is decidedly regional owing to the distinct microclimates of the country. Pasta alla boscaiola is a ragù or sauce made with ground meat and tomatoes that features freshly foraged mushrooms and hails from Tuscany. Its name translates to "woodcutter," presumably an homage to the foragers who collect wild mushrooms every fall to include in this rustic dish. While any mushroom works well in this recipe, porcini mushrooms are traditionally released. If you cannot find fresh porcini mushrooms, use dried or frozen porcinis for the appropriate deep umami flavor quintessential to this dish.

Variations of this dish abound, with every household creating its distinct version. Some recipes omit the tomatoes and add cream. Others use only sausage or pancetta rather than both, which is more classic. Frequently fresh peas are added for a pop of color. The one constant is the appearance of mushrooms, which are at the heart of this dish. This sauce is most commonly served atop penne pasta or fresh tagliatelle but can accompany any pasta with holes or crevices to capture the thick sauce.

Shchi, or cabbage soup, has long been the foundation of the Russian diet, typically accompanied by a buckwheat porridge called kasha. Variations of shchi have evolved and expanded to include unique ingredients like potatoes, meat, and tomatoes. 

One recipe, however, stands out because of its origins in the Monastic traditions of Northern Russia: Valaam shchi. The dish was invented by monks inhabiting the island of Valaam over 400 years ago. It was a Lenten dish, which featured mushrooms instead of meat, in compliance with the tradition of fasting at Lent.

Valaam shchi is written about by Leo Tolstoy, who notes consuming it at a monastery in the fall of 1910. While this dish is most delicious with fresh porcini mushrooms, dried mushrooms are also suitable. The mushrooms are sautéed and combined with sauerkraut that has been boiled for hours to tame its acidity. It is seasoned with rye flour, bay leaves, and dill and then finished by baking in the oven for several hours. It is a dish that benefits from marinating and tastes even better the day after being cooked.

Sauce chasseur, or hunter's sauce, is a mushroom sauce that falls under the category of brown sauces in the lexicon of French haute cuisine. This sauce likely originated in Saumur, a village in western France, in the 1600s. The name of this sauce refers to the game meats it is often served over, like wild boar, guinea fowl, or rabbit. The base of the sauce is a rich demi-glace made by combining stock with a sauce espagnole.

Ideally, this sauce uses wild foraged mushrooms, but chefs often use other mushroom varieties. Once the sliced mushrooms and finely chopped shallots sauté in butter, a dry white wine deglazes the pan. Tomato sauce and the demi-glace are added to the mushrooms before the sauce simmers until it is reduced and thickened. Finely chopped fresh tarragon, chervil, or parsley finish the dish at the end of cooking for brightness. Though the sauce was invented to be served with wild game, sauce chasseur is ideal with virtually any meat, particularly chicken. It is also a delightful topping for a simple omelet.

Kinoko gohan is a delightful variation of a gohan that is a classic "aki no mikaku" or "autumnal delight." Gohan is the Japanese term for a cooked rice dish or pilaf. Kinoko refers to mushrooms, specifically wild foraged mushrooms. In the fall, an abundant variety of mushrooms are foraged throughout Japan, including shiméji, éringi, matsutaké, shiitaké, enokidaké, and maitaké. These mushrooms cook in a rich dashi stock redolent with hints of the sea. 

Rice wine and soy sauce give this dish additional umami flavor. Once the mushrooms finish cooking, they are removed from the stock and set aside. Raw rice cooks in this rich mushroom elixir until fluffy. The cooked mushrooms combined with the rice get garnished with nori, sliced carrots, and cooked edamame for color and texture. 

If Japanese mushrooms are unavailable, you can make this recipe using cultivated mushrooms, like buttons or portobellos. We would not recommend using dehydrated mushrooms for this dish as the stock needs the flavors of the fresh mushrooms steeped in dashi to develop its complexity.

Xiang gu cai xin, or braised Chinese mushrooms with bok choy, is a classic Chinese new year recipe served during celebrations in households across Shanghai. This dish takes advantage of dehydrated shiitaké mushrooms and tender baby bok choy. This recipe is quick and ideally made ahead of time when served alongside other delicacies for a traditional Chinese new year's feast.

While the mushrooms are the stars of this recipe, they get their flavor from a couple of unusual ingredients: Oyster sauce and Shaoxing wine. Oyster sauce is a rich, thick, glossy condiment made by caramelizing oyster juices with salt and sugar and thickened with cornstarch. Its flavor is reminiscent of the sea and accentuates the natural umami profile of the shiitaké mushrooms. 

Shaoxing is a rice wine produced in Shaoxing city in China's Zhejiang Province. It has a dark amber color and a complex flavor, unlike any other wine. You can find it in most Asian grocery stores or online, but dry sherry will work fine as a substitute. Be sure to reserve the liquid from the rehydrated mushrooms to add to the dish for maximum mushroom flavor.

Khoresht, or Khorech, means "stew" in Persian and is derived from the noun Khordan, which means "to eat." The varieties of khoresht in Iran are as diverse as its population, owing to different ethnicities, religions, and regional diversity in ingredients available. Rice always accompanies a Khoresht recipe. Other stews, like abghoosht, are always served with bread. While khoresht bademjan (eggplant stew) and khoresht fesenjan (pomegranate and walnut stew) are the most popular in Iran. Another well-loved variation is khoresht gharch, which is made with mushrooms.

The key to Khoresht lies in the spices used. Saffron is authentic, although many substitute turmeric due to the excessive cost associated with saffron. The flavor cannot compare: Turmeric tends to have a more aggressive punch than delicate saffron. This Khoresht also benefits from lime juice added at the end of cooking, which helps to brighten up the rich umami flavor of the stewed mushrooms. Try using an assortment of fresh mushrooms for maximum flavor.

Nahuatl, or mushrooms, have been a popular delicacy in Mexico since pre-Hispanic times for medicinal and culinary purposes. The Spanish word for mushroom was adopted once the Spaniards colonized Mexico in the 1500s. Hongos, are a big commodity in Mexico, which produces 60 percent of the mushrooms consumed in Latin America. 

While both cultivated and wild mushrooms are available, the button mushroom is the most commonly cultivated mushroom sold in Mexico. The most beloved and traditional mushroom among Mexicans is the oyster, or setas. Setas have only been grown commercially since the 1940s.

Setas have been a part of Mexican culinary tradition for centuries thanks to their distinctive earthy flavor. They are often a part of various soups and stews, but Hongos con epazote is one of their most classic uses. Epazote is a pungent aromatic herb that grows throughout Latin America. 

Its flavor is redolent of anise, mint, and eucalyptus, and it has an intense petroleum scent, which may explain the origin of its name, which means "skunk" or "sweat" in Nahuatl. Oyster mushrooms are fried with epazote to create a filling for tacos and quesadillas sold by roadside stands.

Tibs is a classic Ethiopian stew typically made with meat, various vegetables, herbs, ginger, garlic, and berbere spice sautéed in clarified butter. The origin of tibs is the Aksumite Empire, lasting from 4 B.C. to A.D. 5, stretching across northern Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Eritrea. Inguday, or mushrooms in the Amharic Ethiopian language, are a variation of this stew that most likely appeared as a meal to consume during fasting.

The key to Inguday tibs rests in the Awaze sauce, which lends a spicy, complex flavor profile to the meaty mushrooms. Awaze is a quick chile sauce featuring the classic berbere spice blend. Berbere spice blends are as varied as the people of Ethiopia, typically containing up to 16 different spices ranging from chilis, passion berries, kororima (Ethiopian cardamom), cumin, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and paprika. Inguday tibs is a dish often made for special occasions. A side of Injera, a fermented flatbread with a spongy texture, usually accompanies this hearty stew.

Champiñones al ajillo, or garlic mushrooms, are one of the most popular tapas dishes in Spain. The combination of copious quantities of garlic, chile peppers, mushrooms, and parsley accented with a hint of acidity from white wine or lemon juice is delectable. It is frequently served in a crock with a hunk of crusty bread to sop up the juices. A southern variation of this dish called Champiñones a la Andaluza entails the addition of smoked Spanish paprika and blanched almonds.

Whichever variation you prefer, they pair beautifully with a glass of sangria or red wine served with a selection of other tapas or small plates. The term "tapa" derives from the Portuguese word meaning "to cover." While its origins are dubious, the consumption of tapas is ubiquitous in the Spanish way of life. Diners typically hop from tapas restaurant to tapas restaurant, where they are offered the tapas of the day with their alcoholic beverages. It is a delightful way of experiencing the best flavors and local character of any city in Spain.

Schnitzel is a thinly pounded pork, veal, or beef cutlet that is breaded and fried. It is one of the national dishes of Germany, and jägerschnitzel is its most beloved variation. Jägerschnitzel, or "hunter's schnitzel," is served with a rich mushroom gravy and is inspired by the French sauce chasseur, a similar style mushroom sauce served alongside wild game. 

In Germany, schnitzel is available in four variations: Plain (schweineschnitzel if made of pork or wienerschnitzel if made with veal), rahmschnitzel served with a cream sauce, zigeunerschnitzel, served with a "gypsy" pepper sauce, and jägerschnitzel.

The mushroom sauce is typically made with assorted fresh mushrooms sautéed with onions, thickened with flour, and finished with a hint of cream to balance the flavor. Often dried mushrooms are added for a pop of extra umami flavor. Jägerschnitzel always comes with homemade spätzle (dumplings), french fries, or a German potato salad. A light German cucumber salad is a refreshing garnish in contrast to this rich dish.

Svamptoast is a deceptively simple dish that is quintessentially Swedish. The entire premise of this mushroom toast is that Sweden is legendary for its wild mushroom foraging. It is a pastime pursued by Swedes every fall, but it is also an obsession with every Swedish mushroom hunter claiming they have their spot for finding the finest mushrooms. 

To make this dish, an assortment of chanterelles, porcini, orange birch boletes, and gypsy mushrooms are sautéed in butter with onions until all the liquid has evaporated. Fresh parsley, lemon juice, and cream finish the dish. The mushroom medley is served atop crisply fried sourdough bread.

Variations include svamptoast with fresh goat cheese or svamptoast garnished with copious quantities of a local roe called kalix löjrom or caviar of kalix. Swedes use a tablespoon of roe per serving, although this may be a bit excessive for those not accustomed to consuming caviar, not to mention that it tends to be quite expensive. To recreate this dish with dried mushrooms, rehydrate them for 30 minutes in hot water before sautéeing. The flavor and texture won't be quite the same, but it is still delicious.

Argentineans love their beef and their barbecue. A common way of eating is to go to an asado, which is a barbecue featuring food, wine, and festivities. These celebrations occur either in private homes or in parrillas, which are Argentinian steakhouses. Besides an astonishing array of different cuts of beef, vegetable sides like champiñones rellenos de chorizo, or chorizo-stuffed mushrooms are often served. 

These grilled mushrooms are stuffed with a combination of cooked spicy chorizo seasoned with onions, garlic, parsley, soft sheep's milk cheese, and Manchego. These delicious salty bites are a perfect appetizer to serve with a crisp white Argentinian wine like Torrontés. 

For a modified lighter version, roast the mushrooms and use a different sausage, like turkey or chicken. If you substitute the chorizo for a lighter option, remember that chorizo is distinctly flavored and has a high-fat content which may necessitate adding some smoked paprika to liven things up.

Momos are among the most authentic and popular dishes in Nepal. Their history dates back to the 14th century. These dumplings get their name from the Newari word "mome," which means cooking by steaming. While momos typically contain meat, vegetarian options are also made, with shamu momos (mushroom momo) being quite popular. 

The key is in the flavorings, which include onion, garlic, sesame, chilis, tomatoes, mustard powder, ginger juice, and Nepalese spices. These ingredients are mixed with flour, wild mushrooms, and Chura, a cottage cheese-like product made from Yak milk. Once the momos are formed into dumplings, they are fried and then steamed.

For some, the spicy achar dipping sauce is the highlight of the momo. It's a basic tomato sauce made with complex spices and aromas, punctuated by turmeric, fenugreek, cumin, Szechuan peppercorn, thyme, asafoetida, and the ubiquitous Himalayan pink salt. In Nepalese culture, spices represent more than just flavoring: They can be used for medicinal purposes ranging from digestive issues to treating menstrual cramps.