Are Mushrooms Vegetables? The Truth Revealed!

Mushrooms are a favourite food for many people around the world. They add flavour, texture, and nutrition to countless dishes. But many people are not sure whether there precious mushrooms are vegetables, or something else entirely!

Mushrooms are Fungi, not vegetables.

First things first, mushrooms aren't vegetables. They belong to a separate kingdom known as Fungi. Whilst we treat them the same in the kitchen with how we cook and prepare them, they are certainly not the same.

So What Is The Difference?

In this article we will run through exactly what a vegetable is and what a fungus is, how that biologically mushrooms aren't plants, even if we include mushrooms in our diet as one of our five a day of Veg.

 What is considered a Fungi?

Fungi obtain their nutrients by breaking down dead / decaying matter, in some cases they can also harvest nutrition from the root systems of living plants, forming a somewhat symbiotic relationship. 

Mushrooms will fall under three categories

Mycorrhizal mushrooms: Species include Porcini and Chanterelles, these mushrooms have a symbiotic relationship with trees which are still healthy and alive, taking nutrition from the tree, but also giving back to the tree, so everyone's a winner! This relationship is why we are unable to replicate these two products as a mushroom growing kit, as this relationship cannot be replicated outside of the wild.

Parasitic mushrooms: Similar to the above they will grow from living trees, the big difference as they will draw nutrition from the tree, offering nothing in return until the tree is no more, Examples include Chaga, Lobster Mushroom and Poplar mushrooms, occasionally Lion's Mane, which tend to be a weak parasite in comparison .

Saprophytic mushrooms: These solely survive on organic matter such as dead trees, breaking down minerals and nutrients from dead / decaying matter to grow from, common examples of these mushrooms include Shiitake and Oyster Mushrooms.

What Is Considered A Vegetable?

Vegetables all come from plants, either by the part it uses to reproduce, such as a peppers or tomatoes. Or vegetables where we eat the entire plant itself, such as a lettuce.

The biggest difference between mushrooms and vegetables is how they get nutrition, plants use Chlorophyll, turning sunlight into energy, whilst mushrooms draw nutrition from dead / decaying matter.

Mushrooms are Fruit bodies, are they a fruit?

You could be excused for thinking that if a mushroom is not a vegetable, then is it a a fruit?

Whilst mushrooms are scientifically much closer to fruits than vegetables, This would also be incorrect.

Nutritional Benefits of Mushrooms

Although mushrooms aren’t vegetables or fruits, they offer numerous dietary benefits that make them an amazing addition to our meals. They are low in calories but packed with nutrients. For instance, mushrooms are a rich source of vitamins such as B vitamins, which help with energy production and brain health. They also provide antioxidants that fight off harmful free radicals in the body.

These days, a lot of mushrooms are imported thus losing a lot of their nutrition during the lengthy travel times, for truly British mushrooms, it is best to grow your own mushrooms with a grow kit at home.