Mushrooms

One Of The Most Common Pizza Toppings

1. Mushrooms are one of the most common of all toppings used on pizzas and they are a low fat, high fiber source of nutrients including vitamins and protein. There are literally thousands of varieties of mushrooms but there are few that are edible and even fewer types used on pizzas.

   
   

   

   Mushrooms can be tricky to care for and prepare as they are rather delicate. Wait to clean your mushrooms until just before you need them and never soak them in water. Instead, brush or wipe the dirt from them with a dampened towel.

   
   

   The white button mushroom is probably the most often type used on top of pizzas but there are plenty of other kinds to experiment with. Morel mushrooms, which are closely related to the truffle, feature a rich, smoky flavor and these mushrooms can be found widely available dried but usually only in specialty grocery markets when fresh and in season during the late spring.

   
   

   If you want something a bit more exotic, enoki mushrooms are a favorite in Asian inspired dishes. These brittle and sweet fungi are commonly found raw in salads or just slightly cooked in main dishes.

   
   

   Oyster mushrooms are also used frequently in Asian cooking and they feature a peppery flavor that mellows a bit when cooked. You may also want to try porcini mushrooms, which are rarely found fresh in the US, which is just as well as these natives of Italy are even more flavorful when dried.