Agaricus bisporus

Agaricus bisporus, commonly known as the cultivated mushroom, is a basidiomycete mushroom native to grasslands in Eurasia and North America. It is cultivated in many countries and is one of the most commonly consumed mushrooms in the world. People grow it because it is tasty and good for you.

This mushroom comes in different colors when it is young – white and brown – and as it grows, it may be called by different names such as chestnut, portobello, portabellini, button, cremini, and champignon de Paris. Each of these names refers to a stage or type of the same mushroom.

Although Agaricus bisporus is safe to eat, there are some poisonous mushrooms in the wild that look similar, like Entoloma sinuatum. It is important to be careful when picking mushrooms and make sure they are correctly identified before eating them. This mushroom often grows in rich soil and compost, which makes it easy to grow.

Description

The cap of the wild Agaricus bisporus mushroom is pale grey-brown with flat scales, and it fades toward the edges. It starts round and flattens out, usually about 5 to 10 centimetres (2 to 4 inches) across. The gills are narrow and crowded, changing color from pink to red-brown, and finally to dark brown. The stem is up to 6 centimetres tall and has a ring on it. The flesh is firm and white but turns pinkish-red when bruised.

The spore print of this mushroom is dark brown. The spores are oval to round.

The common mushroom can sometimes be mistaken for young specimens of a group of poisonous mushrooms in the Amanita genus. These can be told apart by their cup-like volva at the base and pure white gills.

Another common mix-up is with A. xanthodermus, a mushroom found worldwide in grassy areas. This mushroom smells like phenol and turns yellow when bruised, and it can cause nausea in some people.

The poisonous European species Entoloma sinuatum looks somewhat similar but has yellowish gills that turn pink and lacks a ring.

Taxonomy

The common mushroom, known scientifically as Agaricus bisporus, has an interesting history. It was first described in 1871 by an English botanist and was later studied by a Danish scientist. Its scientific name changed over time and settled on the current name in 1946.

Names

This mushroom has many names depending on its color and age. When it is young and white, it can be called a common mushroom, white mushroom, button mushroom, cultivated mushroom, table mushroom, or "champignon de Paris" in French. When it is young and brown, it might be known as a Swiss brown mushroom, Roman brown mushroom, Italian brown mushroom, cremini mushroom, or chestnut mushroom. When it grows larger and matures, it is often sold as a portobello.

Distribution and habitat

This mushroom grows all over the world. You can find it in the fall and winter. It likes to grow near cypress trees, rich soil, compost, and manure.

Cultivation

Mushrooms like Agaricus bisporus are grown in many countries. In 2022, people grew a lot of these mushrooms, and China grew the most.

People have been growing these mushrooms for a very long time. A French scientist wrote about it in 1707. At first, it was hard because the mushrooms often got sick. But in 1893, scientists learned how to help the mushrooms stay healthy. In 1925, a white mushroom was found in Pennsylvania. It became popular because it looked nice, and that is how many white mushrooms in stores today were developed.

Nutrition

Agaricus bisporus mushrooms are 92% water, 3% carbohydrates, 3% protein, and almost no fat. Eating 100 grams (about 3.5 ounces) of raw white mushrooms gives you 93 kilojoules (22 kilocalories) of energy. They are a good source of some B vitamins like riboflavin, niacin, and pantothenic acid. They also contain minerals such as phosphorus and potassium.

Mushrooms have a small amount of vitamin D, but when they are exposed to UV light, they contain much more vitamin D.