The Mighty Mushroom

A quick, easy, and deeply nourishing broth

Home-grown grey oyster mushrooms

Hello great readers and eaters!

I'm back again, mainlining a cargo of shroomy goodness into your week. You'll be happy to hear it's bonkers easy, cheap, and quick.

Luckily, there are flavourful ingredients sitting in your cupboard that can transform water into a good stock in a matter of minutes. Bone broth takes over 8 hours to make. Mushroom broth is ready in 20 minutes (7 minutes, if you’re prepping a delicate dashi), and adds such earthy robustness to stews and soups all winter.

Mushroom broth tastes closer to a "tea" than a meaty stock, but it delivers on taste and nutrition. It’s perfectly gorgeous all on its own, or with a scattering of fresh, uplifting herbs. A popular way to serve it is with soba noodles, petits pois and squeals of delight.

King oyster

We love ‘shrooms for their haul of humble nutrients. In many cultures, mushrooms are revered for their health-enhancing pursuits. In Chinese medicine, mushrooms are celebrated for giving super-human strength. Take that, Popeye! Today, mushrooms don’t enjoy nearly the same level of prestige unless they are of the hallucinogenic kind. But many of these outrageous health claims can now be traced to a range of polysaccharides specific to mushrooms. (Scientists, look away now while I brutalise your language).

Lentinans and beta glucan polysaccharides for example are believed to stimulate the immune system by activating certain cells. In laboratory studies, the polysaccharides present in shiitake extract for example have slowed the growth of tumours in some cell cultures. But not in all cell cultures, highlighting the complexity surrounding their use. Scientists are still unsure as to why this is - some conjectures include the ability of beta glucans to trick the immune system into thinking it's under attack. Perhaps the body reacts by releasing its finest ninja stars into the bloodstream, or sending armed drones to survey the entire area? Who knows?! More clinical trials are underway to understand which compounds in shiitake may be effective for which immunological disorders.

For now, I’m sufficiently excited to indulge in the fantasy of everlasting life while slurping a hot bowl of mushroom broth, as the scientists continue to sort out the details.

Maybe it's time to start offering Laureates to veggies?

I've also been busy growing my own mushrooms this month, which has been a rodeo of wild excitement and success (Btw, these recipes do not require home grown 'shrooms. I’m just nerding out).

There are 3 broths to choose from, depending on where you find yourself.