Mushrooms have been a popular ingredient in the food world for centuries, dating back to ancient civilizations. The Romans believed mushrooms to be a “Food of The Gods,” while the Greeks thought mushrooms would give their warriors strength in preparation for battle. Mushrooms have been known for many things, but tasting like candy? This might be a first…
You’re going to want to try these after reading this!
Chefs are goings crazy over these candy cap mushrooms, and when you taste them, you’ll know why
The latest food craze sweeping the nation is candy cap mushrooms, and it’s what they’re used in that has culinary experts excited, and food connoisseurs craving them.
So what exactly are candy cap mushrooms?
Found a nice little flush of candy caps yesterday, such a wonderful smell as they dry! from foraging
Candy cap mushrooms are also known as Curry Milk Cap mushrooms and are naturally sweet mushrooms that are often used as a natural sweetener. With a taste and smell like maple syrup, candy cap mushrooms are often used in desserts.
That’s right, a mushroom that is actually used for desert!
What makes them taste like maple syrup?
For decades, scientists have been stumped trying to figure out why these sweet treats taste like maple syrup, but now, they’ve finally got an answer. Back in 1985, the quest to find out why candy cap mushrooms taste like maple syrup began.
27-years-later, a researcher at the Humboldt State University, William Wood, and Chairman of the Science Department at St Vincent High School in California, Darvin DeShazer, have their answer.
What they found was mind-boggling…Freshly picked candy caps don’t smell or taste like maple syrup, however, the combination of amino acids during the drying process produces a chemical called quabalactone III. When reacting with water, this chemical turns into sotolon, which is the same chemical used when manufacturers create fake maple syrup.
How cool, nature is truly amazing!
How do you spot candy cap mushrooms?
Candy cap mushrooms are small to medium-sized, that typically have a burnt orange color to them. The shape of the cap can range from broad and bowed, to slightly sunken.
The best way to tell if a mushroom is a candy cap is its sweet smell of course. You can’t mistake their aroma, it is that of butterscotch candy or savory maple syrup. The smell is faint in fresh mushrooms but grows stronger as the mushroom dries out.
Could candy cap mushrooms be the healthy exception to sweets?
When you think of sweets, you automatically think “unhealthy,” but what if there was an exception? Candy caps could be that exception! Steeped in B vitamins, like folate, riboflavin, and thiamine, it’s possible that candy caps can be healthy even with their sweet taste.
They’re also a great source of protein and fiber, with a low-calorie count, these mushrooms are great for those on a vegetarian diet.
Where can you get candy cap mushrooms?
Not sold at your regular chain grocery stores, candy cap mushrooms can be found at specialty food shops. The exclusive mushrooms are pricey, but they’re worth every penny.
Who wouldn’t want a mushroom that tastes like maple syrup? This delicacy is riding a new food wave, and it’s easy to understand why.
To see more on candy cap mushrooms, watch the video below!
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