The Day of the Mushroom holiday is observed on April 16 and celebrates all fungi. A mushroom is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus that can grow anywhere above ground, on soil, or on its food source. The cultivated white button mushroom is the standard fungus to be called a mushroom. Consequently, the term “mushroom” is most commonly applied to fungi with a stem, cap, and gills on the underside of their cap. The term “mushroom” is also applicable to the fleshy fruiting bodies of other Ascomycota because it is used to refer to a variety of gilled fungi with or without a stem.
HISTORY OF DAY OF THE MUSHROOM
Since they first appeared in early European communities, it is generally assumed that humans have been gathering mushrooms since the beginning of time, possibly even during the prehistoric period. In ancient Greece and Rome, truffles and other types of fungi were highly valued. In her book “Mushroom: A Global History,” the American author Cynthia Bertelsen asserts that both Pliny the Elder and Aristotle wrote about fungi. She also asserts that the ancient Greek philosopher Galen penned a number of passages on the collection of wild mushrooms. It is likely that China and Japan were the first places to cultivate mushrooms in 600 A.D., according to Cynthia Bertelsen.
However, it took time for Americans to accept and adapt to mushrooms. In the first American cookbook, “The Virginia Housewife,” mushrooms are mentioned for the first time (1824). In the 1930s, Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup, a classic American ingredient for casseroles, was created. There may be archaeological evidence of the spiritual use of mushrooms as early as 10,000 B.C., according to Bertelsen. There is evidence that numerous cultures, including the Ancient Greeks, Mayans, Chinese, and Vikings, utilised hallucinogenic mushrooms.
Humans now regularly consume edible mushrooms, which has had a significant impact on the agricultural and agro-economic development of regions where they are grown. China produces roughly half of the world’s farmed edible mushrooms and accounts for six pounds of annual mushroom consumption per person among the world’s 1.4 billion inhabitants. With an estimated 194,000 tonnes of edible mushroom exports annually in 2014, Poland was the world’s leading exporter of mushrooms.
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5 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT MUSHROOMS
They breathe similarly to humans.
Like humans, mushrooms take in oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide.
Mycelium-based fruiting bodies
Not the mushroom, but the fruiting body of the mycelium is the primary plant.
Mushrooms can be consumed.
Some mushrooms are edible and have a pleasant flavour.
China is the leading mushroom producer.
China is the world leader in edible mushroom production, followed by Japan and the United States.
Spores of mushrooms can survive in space.
Spores of mushrooms can survive space’s radiation and vacuum.
DAY OF THE MUSHROOM DATES
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | April 16 | Sunday |
| 2024 | April 16 | Tuesday |
| 2025 | April 16 | Wednesday |
| 2026 | April 16 | Thursday |
| 2027 | April 16 | Friday |
