Every mushroom we know — nutrition, use and trivia.
Compiled from our ICAR-DMR training. Filter by variety, compare nutrition, and flip a card for a fact.
Know a lot about mushrooms? Take the quiz.
Some of these are real, some are widespread myths — and the order shuffles every round. Pick a side, then flip the card to see if you were right.
Mushrooms are a vegetable with no real nutrition.
Mushrooms aren't plants at all — they're fungi, with a nutrient profile closer to neither. They contribute protein, dietary fibre (including beta-glucans), B-vitamins like riboflavin and niacin, selenium and potassium at very low calorie density.
| Mushroom | Local name | Type | Cal /100g | Protein (g) | Fibre (g) | Vitamin D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Button | Safed Kumbh | Culinary | 22 | 3.1 | 1 | Low |
| Oyster | Dhingri | Culinary | 33 | 3.3 | 2.3 | Low |
| Cordyceps | Keeda Jadi | Medicinal | 39 | 4 | 1.8 | — |
| Milky | Doodhiya | Culinary | 28 | 2.9 | 2 | Low |
| Paddy Straw | Dhaan Ka Bhoosa Kumbh | Culinary | 29 | 2.7 | 1.3 | Low |
| Ganoderma (Reishi) | Reishi | Medicinal | — | — | — | — |
| Shiitake | Shiitake | Culinary | 34 | 2.2 | 2.5 | Medium |
| Wood Ear | Kaan Kumbh | Culinary | 25 | 1.5 | 5.8 | — |
| Turkey Tail | Turkey Tail | Medicinal | — | — | — | — |
| Enoki | Enoki | Culinary | 37 | 2.7 | 2.7 | Low |
| Morel (Gucchi) | Gucchi | Culinary | 31 | 3.1 | 2.8 | Low |
Trivia — tap to flip
CulinaryButtonTap to reveal a factThe world's most-farmed mushroom — button, cremini and portobello are the same species at different ages.
CulinaryOysterTap to reveal a factGrows on straw and farm waste, making it one of the cheapest mushrooms to cultivate.
MedicinalCordycepsTap to reveal a factWild Himalayan cordyceps can sell for more than gold by weight.
CulinaryMilkyTap to reveal a factOne of the few mushrooms that fruits well in Indian summer heat (up to 38°C).
CulinaryPaddy StrawTap to reveal a factCultivated for over 2,000 years, likely the oldest cultivated tropical mushroom.
MedicinalGanoderma (Reishi)Tap to reveal a factToo woody to eat fresh — traditionally simmered for hours into a tea or extract.
CulinaryShiitakeTap to reveal a factDried and sun-exposed shiitake can develop meaningfully more vitamin D2.
CulinaryWood EarTap to reveal a factSold dried almost everywhere — it rehydrates to nearly 5x its size in water.
MedicinalTurkey TailTap to reveal a factNamed for its fan of concentric brown-and-tan rings, like a turkey's tail feathers.
CulinaryEnokiTap to reveal a factFarmed enoki is grown in the dark in bottles, which is why it's pale and long-stemmed.
CulinaryMorel (Gucchi)Tap to reveal a factWild-foraged only for now — reliable large-scale cultivation is still an open research problem.