France was the first country to cultivate mushrooms on a commercial basis in the late 19th century.
Since the beginning of recorded history, over 4,500 years ago, mushrooms were an important staple in the diet of aboriginies.
The market for mushrooms in the UK is the largest in Europe at £359M.
There are 2,000 different species of mushrooms eaten throughout the world, but the most common variety cultivated is the white button.
Mushrooms were also very popular in the civilizations of China, Egypt and Greece. Egyptian pharaohs and Roman Emperors actually went so far as to forbid commoners from eating mushrooms; strictly reserving them for nobility only.
Mushrooms have been called the “vegetarians’ beefsteak” because no other vegetable comes closer to the taste and texture of meat.
Romans, convinced of their strengthening powers, fed mushrooms to their soldiers to prepare them for battle.
France’s King Louis XIII loved mushrooms so much he arranged for 2,400 kilometres (500 miles) of earth-covered compost beds to be created in caves outside of Paris.
There are 38,000 kinds of mushrooms in the world, three quarters of which are edible. However, no more than 2,000 kinds are actually palatable.
In ancient China, Egypt and Greece “wild mushrooms” were believed to have magical healing powers.
