Get Dried Porcini Mushrooms For Best Aroma And Flavour

Published on | In What Spice When by Liz Edgecombe | Leave a Comment

Mushrooms are beloved for pushing our taste buds to the sixth flavour, which is called ‘umami’ and provides us with the best food experience. In the culinary arts, they are the most favourite for their rich flavour and several health benefits. The dried porcini mushrooms add an earthy note and meaty richness to every kind of dishes. To get a huge umami punch, one can try them in both forms, which is ground and whole.

Ground

One can go with the ground if they love the flavour of mushrooms but not the texture. You can blind dried mushrooms into a food mill to make its fine powder. To deepen the flavour, dissolve it into thicker sauces and soups. Also, the powder can be sprinkled on meats, steaks, or many other full-flavoured dishes for rich tastes.

Whole

Before adding to a dish, one should soften the dried mushrooms in hot water for around 15 minutes. The flavoured soaking liquid can also be used as a part of cooking. In addition to this, you can add dried porcini mushrooms to a pot of lamb shanks or short ribs.

What is dried porcini mushrooms?

They are brown-capped mushrooms with white and thick stalks that can range from an inch to a foot. However, most collected specimens are not more than a few inches. These mushrooms are edible and can be found dried and fresh. These are mostly used for their meaty and earthy flavour for dishes like Italian pasta, soups and sauces, different rice dishes, risotto and more. Not only this, there are several nutritional value of mushrooms that can help you get many important nutrients. Owing to their status in numerous different cuisines, their difficult cultivation and short-season can make these mushrooms a little pricey.

Health benefits

Porcini mushrooms are a great source of protein and dietary fibre. These mushrooms also contain potassium, selenium, copper, zinc, and vitamin B. Eating mushrooms can be extremely beneficial for your body and overall health. Listed are some of their nutritional value that can aid in healthy eating:

  1. Protein found in them can help in muscle mass
  2. A good source of antioxidants that can help in immunity
  3. Contains no trans-fat, cholesterol and saturated fat
  4. Provides fibre for the health of your gut
  5. Gives you much-needed iron for essential minerals

Use porcini mushrooms in cooking

No matter what your favourite dishes are, porcini mushrooms can add amazing additional flavour to just about any dishes. These mushrooms must be soaked in warm water for 15-20 minutes before adding into a recipe. A good variety of dried mushrooms can enhance the flavour of numerous dishes, including Broth, Pasta, Eggs, Meat, and several other vegetarian dishes. To add more flavour to your dishes, chop and Sautee them in high-quality virgin olive oil that will help you get the natural flavour before cooking.

Porcini mushrooms are easily available in summer and fall seasons. They usually grow in soil-around trees, particularly in pine, hemlock, chestnut and spruce trees. If you wish to buy them, you can get them frozen, dried, or fresh at any grocery stores near you.