Mushrooms are everywhere. Here’s how to forage, eat and grow the mighty fungi in L.A.
Photos by Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times; Alan Nakkash / For The Times; animated illustration by Danie Drankwalter / For The Times
Mushrooms are having a cultural moment.
They can be found in home decor, coffee, skincare, supplements and fashion shows. While renewed interest in magic mushrooms for both medicinal and recreational purposes has driven some of the popularity, non-psychedelic fungi are also capturing our attention. More and more people in L.A. are looking to forage for mushrooms, grow them at home and cook varieties beyond the humble cremini. We’re in a “shroom boom,” as mushroom fans like to say. Here’s how to dig in.
The best tips and tricks for identifying and responsibly gathering fungi in the wild.
Growing mushrooms at home is more complicated than buying soil and seeds, but very doable with the help of premade kits. Here are expert tips on mushroom care.
Mushroom music experiments are mesmerizing TikTok. The funky beats offer a window into the mysterious fungi kingdom as our cultural interest in mushrooms spreads.
Fresh mushrooms, porcini stock and miso pack this vegan pasta dish with umami. Briny capers brighten up the flavors, and cashew cream smoothes the edges.
Mushrooms build flavor and texture in soups, salads, appetizers, main dishes and sides. Whatever you’re cooking, mushrooms will make it better.
Foraging is not the only way to bring freshly picked mushrooms to your kitchen table. You can easily grow varieties including oyster, shiitake and lion’s mane in your home.
The epicenter of L.A.’s mushroom boom is a 34,000-square-foot warehouse in Vernon, where Smallhold ramps up to grow more than 20,000 pounds a week.
