Portobello mushrooms sound exotic and Italian, but here’s a surprise: they’re simply a mature brown cremini mushroom. Growers once considered these big, open cremini mushrooms as culls and often couldn’t give them away because the consumer shied away from them. Then, in the 1980s, somebody gave them the Italian-sounding name “portobello,” although no one seems to know exactly who. Suddenly the ugly duckling became gourmet. Portobello’s maturity gives them a flavorful, meaty texture, making them great grilled or sautéed. Sometimes all a vegetable needs is a good publicist.
Growing Home: Portobello Mushrooms
