 | | Name: | portobello | | Plural names: | portobella |
| Description: | | The Portobello mushroom (sometimes portobella) is a large brown strain of the common mushroom, left to mature and take on a broader, more open shape before picking. Portobello mushrooms are distinguished by their large size, thick cap and stem, and a distinctive musky smell. Because of their size - and the thickness of their fleshy caps - these mushrooms can be cooked in a range of different ways, including grilling and frying.
Although sometimes described a sub-variety of the portobello mushroom, the crimini or cremini mushroom is actually an immature portobello. In fact, savvy marketers have begun to refer to crimini mushrooms as baby portobellos. Left to grow another 48 to 72 hours, a crimini mushroom will more than quadruple in size, taking on the large-capped portobello shape. They are more delicate in texture but still have the meaty portobello flavor.
A closely-related wild mushroom, the meadow mushroom (A. campestris), can be found throughout much of the United States. However, care must be taken, as it resembles the immature stage of a number of the deadly poisonous Amanita |
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