What's so magical about (edible, culinary) mushrooms?

The mushroom may not be as beautiful as a shiny, deep-purple eggplant or an elegant stalk of asparagus, but the fungus has an inner beauty bordering on magic. 

Dozens of varieties are available year-round because they’re grown indoors.

Packed with savory flavor and nutrients that many other types of produce don’t have, shoppers need to be reminded that mushrooms are a tasty and healthy addition to all kinds of dishes and cuisines. 

’Shrooms are the only source of vitamin D in the produce aisle. A single portabella mushroom has more potassium than a medium-sized banana, and fungi are a leading source of selenium, an antioxidant that strengthens the body’s immune system and can help prevent heart disease.

Mushrooms are trending

The Packer’s Fresh Trends 2022 survey found that mushrooms are most popular among shoppers in the highest income bracket, along with Asian consumers. Those 40 and older are much more likely than younger consumers to add fungi to their grocery carts. 

As inflation drove produce prices upward in 2022, fresh mushrooms felt the impact. Price per volume increased 7% while dollar sales declined 4%, according to IRI OmniMarket Integrated Fresh data for the 52 weeks ending Dec. 4, 2022. Likewise, volume sales dipped 11%. Higher-priced specialty mushrooms, especially chanterelle and enoki, took a bigger hit as consumers turned to more affordable options, such as white and crimini mushrooms. 

Learn more: Mushrooms, the commodity

Packaged fungi outperformed bulk mushrooms in dollar and volume sales, according to IRI data for the four weeks ending Nov. 6, 2022, with prepackaged options representing almost 96% of pounds sold. Eight-ounce packages were, by far, the biggest sellers. Cut or prepared mushrooms made up half of pound sales, reflecting shoppers’ desire for convenience.

Accentuating the positive

Fresh mushrooms have a lot going for them, from nutritional advantages to sustainability. The Mushroom Council highlights these fungi benefits: 

• Families can stretch their grocery budgets by incorporating meaty-tasting mushrooms into recipes that call for ground beef — such as burgers and meatballs.  
• Substituting mushrooms for meat can enhance weight loss and boost nutrition without leaving consumers hungry after a meal. 
• Mushrooms rank high in sustainability. An environmental footprint assessment found that production of a pound of mushrooms requires less than 2 gallons of water, 1 kilowatt hour of energy, and generates minimal carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions.   

(Photo: Stephen Daly of Military Produce Group submitted this photo for the 2022 Produce Artist Award Series, mushroom category contest.)