Before the twentieth century, only royalty and those who foraged in field or forest could enjoy a dish made with mushrooms. Now, the mushroom regularly appears on American tables. Whether a garnish for gourmet dishes or an addition to a humble meat loaf, the mushroom has been adopted by American cuisine.
The mushroom boom did not come overnight. Growers will tell you that mushrooms are more difficult to cultivate than orchids, and only within the past two hundred years has the formerly secret art of mushroom gardening been made public. Mushrooms had an almost mystical renown for years, because no one understood how they wee propagated. Instead of developing from seeds, mushrooms spring from microscopic spores, which develop rapidly, as if by magic, when conditions are right.
The first known mushroom farm was in limestone caves outside Paris, where crops were harvested for the court tables of Louis XIV. This delectable vegetable was also a delicacy among the elite of early America. Thomas Jefferson, a patron of French culinary arts, attempted to raise mushrooms at Monticello, with little success.
Today, the world's mushroom capital is Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, in the historic Brandywine Valley just outside Philadelphia. No climatic or geographic reason explains why more mushrooms are grown here than anywhere else. It seems a matter of coincidence that around 1885 two industries developed in the area that contributed to the mushroom's popularity. Greenhouse production of winter vegetables for restaurants in large cities and of carnations and roses for year-round growers led to a search for a complementary crop for added income. The result was the first American experiments with mushroom growing. Over the last one hundred years, mushrooms have become the region's No. 1 cash crop.
Ranging from Agaricus bisporus species (the common white button mushroom) to exotic varieties such as the shiitake, enoki, and oyster, 46 percent of America's 615 million pounds of mushrooms were harvested by Pennsylvania farmers during the 1986-87 season. America is the world's largest mushroom producer, despite the fact that U.S. per capita consumption is only 2.8 pounds (3.6, if mushrooms in soups and frozen and other processed foods are included), far below Great Britain's (6.8 pounds) and Canada's (5.7 pounds). But despite its productivity and growth, the American mushroom industry is a business in transition.
Imports reduce production
Since its inception, the Kennett Square mushroom industry has been a family affair. "I'm a third generation grower," says Ralph LaFrance, but he estimates that it has been three years since he last grew mushrooms. "I remember when there were about three hundred growers here in the Kennett Square area. Now they've been whittled down to less than a hundred. That's because imports from Taiwan and China closed down a lot of local canneries."
This depressed market has led growers, processors, restaurant owners, and chefs to become directly involved in mushroom advertising and promotion. As a part of that move, Donald Phillips, a grower and joint owner of Phillips Mushroom Farms, opened Phillips Mushroom Museum in 1972. "Mushrooms are different," says Phillips. "Everyone knows how grapefruit, oranges, and apples
...
Read Full Article
|
