When I was a kid, my Polish grandfather would get up early on fall mornings, fortify himself with a couple jiggers of persuasion and head off to his secret mushroom-hunting spot. He'd come home with overflowing baskets of wonderful, woodsy mushrooms, dirt and bugs included. My grandma would spend all day canning them.
I was introduced to Golden Gourmet Mushrooms at the 2008 Fancy Food Show/All Things Organic in Chicago. I'm happy to report Eastern Europeans no longer have to wait until fall for these jewels of the forest. Golden Gourmet cultivates them year-round.
Description of Golden Gourmet Mushrooms
Golden Gourmet Mushrooms, Inc., located in San Marcos, San Diego County, Calif., has been cultivating specialty mushrooms since 1988, using techniques developed by Hokuto Sangyo, Ltd., the largest mushroom company in Japan.
Golden Gourmet specializes in Brown and White Beech, King Trumpet, Maitake and Enoki, which can easily be substituted for the common button mushroom.
Health Benefits of Golden Gourmet Mushrooms
What Sets Golden Gourmet Mushrooms Apart
The Guide says: These mushrooms are impeccably clean and fresh. You don't need a mushroom brush or paper towel to wipe off the dirt. Just trim the base, and they're ready to go. What a pleasure to work with!
Golden Gourmet says: "Please note that we do not recommend washing or rinsing Golden Gourmet Mushrooms before cooking. Our mushrooms are cultivated on steam-sterilized materials that contain no manure or soils and are hygienically harvested and packaged. In contrast, the common button mushroom and derivatives (creminis, portobellos) are cultivated on pasteurized materials which contain composted manures and soils."
How Golden Gourmet Mushrooms Rate in the Kitchen
These meaty mushrooms peformed exceptionally well in my recipes for Mushroom Strudel, Creamed Mushrooms, Mushroom "Palacsinta" (crepes), and Mushroom-Egg "Palacsinta."
I substituted king trumpet, brown and white beech, maitake and enoki for shiitake, cremini and morel, and the result was as good if not better. I highly recommend these mushrooms.
They're available nationwide at many Asian and American retail chain stores. Call 866.740.0874 or email for help in locating a distributor in your area.
Suggested Retail Price: $2 to $4 per 4- to 5-ounce package. King trumpet mushrooms come in 6- to 7-ounce packages and are priced higher.
