A
mushroom shaped cake for my nephew. When he was little, mushrooms fascinated
him for some reason.
Did
you know that mushroom is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus? The
word "mushroom" is mostly applied to those fungi that have a stem (stipe),
a cap (pileus), and gills (lamellae) or pores on the underside of the cap.
These pores or gills produce microscopic spores that help the fungus spread
across the ground or its occupant surface. I actually heard of a scientist
harvest fungi from his toes and grow them as mushrooms in the lab and then
serve them for dinner. Ewww sounds gross, indeed, but such is the beauty of
nature.
Mushrooms
are a delicious low-calorie food; an excellent source B vitamins, minerals
(selenium and copper) phosphorus and potassium. Many mushrooms have medicinal
properties and have been called a miniature pharmaceutical factory.
So
while the word “fungus” is mostly applied for a parasite, it can also be a huge
source of benefit, like producing penicillin and these gorgeous mushrooms that
are also delicious and nutritious.
