Taste of Mexico: Mushrooms

Remember the saying “You don’t cognize what you person until you suffer it”? For me, the realization came not successful experiencing nonaccomplishment but erstwhile I was astatine a quesadilla stand. I was halfway done a wound erstwhile it struck me: Mushrooms are everyplace successful Mexican cuisine, yet I had ne'er consciously noticed.

Champiñones (mushrooms) with epazote are a classical pairing, for example, but person they ever been this cardinal to Mexican culture? I couldn’t remember. The French devour plentifulness of mushrooms, the Japanese too. Could their usage present person been imported? Perhaps. But what astir the mushrooms that are tied to past rituals?

Mushrooms successful an adobo condiment marque a large taco filling. (Janet Blaser)

Then I recalled that mushrooms erstwhile held a revered spot successful pre-Hispanic cultures, particularly the hallucinogenic varieties. But what astir the mean ones — the mushrooms that don’t nonstop you hurtling into the depths of your subconscious?

Forgive me, friends, but today’s nonfiction emerges from my inability to halt circling this question: Where and wherefore bash mushrooms substance truthful profoundly to Mexican cuisine?

The narration betwixt pre-Hispanic peoples and mushrooms was intimate and layered. Archaeological evidence, the sparse surviving codices and the chronicles of the Spanish conquistadors each corroborate that chaotic mushrooms were cardinal to the Mesoamerican fare — and that hallucinogenic mushrooms, successful particular, played a relation successful ritual and festivity. Like overmuch of pre-Hispanic food, mushrooms besides carried medicinal value.

Mushrooms successful modern Mexico: An evolution 

With colonization, hallucinogenic mushrooms were suppressed for spiritual and taste reasons. Officially, they were prohibited successful New Spain; unofficially, traditions endured underground. Nonhallucinogenic mushrooms, meanwhile, recovered their mode into assemblage cuisine, folded into stews and seasonal dishes.

In the 20th century, mushrooms entered a caller chapter. By the 1930s, efforts began to domesticate them, and by the 1950s, their commercialization had scaled up dramatically. Today, Mexico produces astir 47,000 tons annually, 95% of which are the ubiquitous achromatic fastener mushroom.

This show astatine an yearly Oaxaca mushroom just gives a consciousness of the immense diverseness of edible mushrooms that tin beryllium foraged successful Mexico. Estimates spot the fig of varieties astatine 100,000 oregon more. (Tomzap.com)

Alongside them, oyster mushrooms, cremini, portobello, shiitake and the famed cuitlacoche besides look successful markets and kitchens.

But these cultivated taxon are lone the extremity of the iceberg: Mexico is location to much than 100,000 mushroom varieties. Of those, lone 3,000 person been studied, and conscionable 200 are considered edible. The spread betwixt what is known and what remains unexplored is immense.

Mushrooms’ nutritional value

The existent enthusiasm for mushrooms isn’t unfounded. Composed of 80% to 90% water, they are debased successful calories yet supply a premix of protein, carbohydrates and fiber. Rich successful B vitamins — peculiarly B3 and B2 — and vitamin D, mushrooms tin besides supply, depending connected the variety, potassium, selenium, iron, zinc and different minerals.

The wellness implications are striking: strengthened immunity, antitumor properties, cardiovascular support, improved gut microbiota, extortion against neurological damage, regeneration of tense tissue, enhanced cognition and awesome antioxidant, antimicrobial and antiviral capacities. For those with liver damage, mushrooms whitethorn adjacent beryllium therapeutic.

Champiñones y epazote: a classical combo

These quesadillas made with champiñones and epazote are a staple anyplace you tin bargain quesadillas successful Mexico. (Cardamomo)

Few flavors telephone to caput Mexican thoroughfare nutrient arsenic good arsenic mushrooms cooked with epazote. At astir immoderate quesadilla stand, you’ll find this combination: champiñones sautéed with bulb (not my idiosyncratic favorite, arsenic regular readers know) and brightened astatine the extremity with the sharp, resinous notes successful epazote. For me, it’s irresistible.

Nutritionally, the pairing is much than a delicious constituent of Mexican cuisine. Together, mushrooms and epazote amplify antioxidant and cardiovascular benefits, enactment gut wellness and connection anti-inflammatory effects successful each remarkably nutrient-dense bite.

The versatility of this operation successful Mexican cooking is staggering. You tin fold it into sopa de milpa, service it arsenic a elemental broadside crockery oregon tuck it into quesadillas, tacos, sopes oregon huaraches. Use them arsenic filling for empanadas, tamales and stuffed chiles, oregon usage them arsenic a tostada topping. Outside of Mexican cuisine, adhd them to pasta sauces and risottos.

A last note

Incorporating mushrooms into your fare is not lone culturally resonant but besides a proven mode to bolster your health; to beryllium clear, I’m recommending edible mushrooms — this portal is not successful the concern of encouraging journeys to different dimensions of your psyche. But should you take that path, we won’t justice either.

If you’re funny astir edible mushrooms successful Mexico, sojourn your section marketplace and inquire astir determination varieties. In Mexico City’s open-air nutrient markets — the Central de Abasto oregon the Mercado de San Juan — you tin brushwood chaotic mushrooms from Tlaxcala, Puebla and Oaxaca specified arsenic hongos azules, hongo amarillo, hongo borrego, hongo chipotle, hongo yemita, el venado and los tecomates. Each 1 offers its ain story, its ain spirit and its ain spot successful the sprawling fungal tapestry of Mexico.

María Meléndez is a Mexico City nutrient blogger and influencer.