# Do you like mushrooms? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 29, 2018, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-mushrooms/820487 "2018-08-29T18:23:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2018, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-mushrooms/820487/161 "2018-09-03T14:46:23Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > Oh and someone upthread mentioned putting “shaved pasta” on a dish (pulykamell, I think). What is shaved pasta? Not shaved, grated. I’m imagining _[tarhonya](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egg_barley)_ or [_Spätzle_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sp%C3%A4tzle) ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2018, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-mushrooms/820487/162 "2018-09-04T00:19:26Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Then what’s the point of mushrooms? For me, it’s that they actually _taste_ like mushrooms. Sure, they do absorb some flavors, but they still taste like mushrooms, which I would best describe as “earthy” for lack of other words. I like mushrooms, but I have no idea what you guys are talking about when you say they taste “earthy.” They taste like mushrooms. Granted, there’s a big difference if they are cooked or uncooked, but they still taste like mushrooms. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2018, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-mushrooms/820487/163 "2018-09-04T00:32:14Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I like mushrooms, but I have no idea what you guys are talking about when you say they taste “earthy.” They taste like mushrooms. Granted, there’s a big difference if they are cooked or uncooked, but they still taste like mushrooms. There’s a mustiness to them (or at least certain kinds) that reminds me of the earth and the forest. It’s not a perfect description, but it works for me (and apparently many others if you google “mushrooms earthy” like I just did to see if I’m being unusual in my description or not).Apparently, the chemical geosomin is at least partially responsible for the earthy-musty smell (and thus flavor notes). ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2018, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-mushrooms/820487/164 "2018-09-04T08:37:43Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > There’s a mustiness to them (or at least certain kinds) that reminds me of the earth and the forest. It’s not a perfect description, but it works for me (and apparently many others if you google “mushrooms earthy” like I just did to see if I’m being unusual in my description or not).Apparently, the chemical geosomin is at least partially responsible for the earthy-musty smell (and thus flavor notes). I still don’t really know what you’re talking about. Can you maybe name other foods that have this “musty” or “earthy” taste to them? Ideally, it would be something that tastes completely different other than this one flavor aspect. That way I can think about what taste they have in common. And not truffles, since I have no idea what they taste like. Nor alcohol, since I can’t drink. (I’ve heard wines described as having earthy tones.) Now musty, I could have an idea. But the problem is that it would only apply to uncooked mushrooms. ---
**Author:** ![AllShookDown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d9b06d/32.png) [@AllShookDown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AllShookDown)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2018, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-mushrooms/820487/165 "2018-09-04T14:40:25Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > Alton Brown debunks this as a myth on an episode of Good Eats. He weighed the mushrooms,washed them, then weighed them again. They didn’t appear to absorb any significant amount of water. Yeah, I watched an episode of Jacques Pepin once and he talked about people saying you shouldn’t wash mushrooms. He said, “Of course you wash them. You just don’t \*soak \*them.” ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2018, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-mushrooms/820487/166 "2018-09-04T15:04:01Z")
Roasted beetroots have an earthy taste. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2018, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-mushrooms/820487/167 "2018-09-04T15:30:21Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I still don’t really know what you’re talking about. Can you maybe name other foods that have this “musty” or “earthy” taste to them? Ideally, it would be something that tastes completely different other than this one flavor aspect. That way I can think about what taste they have in common. I associate all these with earthiness: mushrooms, beets, potatoes, rosemary, thyme, many blue cheeses, morbier cheese, dry-aged steak, rye bread, etc. They don’t all necessarily have the same flavor compounds, but they are all “earthy” flavors to me. As opposed to floral flavors, or berry flavors, or citrus flavors, or “green” flavors. Just Google “earthy flavor” and I’m sure you’ll find more examples. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2018, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-mushrooms/820487/168 "2018-09-04T22:32:33Z")
> [@sps49sd](#): > > YES, all of them. Is there nothing you don’t like? > > The texture and flavor are gross. Ick factor is a part, but if everyone thought they were delicious, everyone would eat them, okay? > > Only mayo is worse. I had a restaurant reserve a sandwich I had returned (my 'hold the mayo was ignored) with most of the mayo removed. I asked if I had shat on a sandwich, scraped it off, and served it to them, would they still be disgusted? > > Some people just don’t get it. That’s very sad. You and Mr. Salinqmind would get along so well. Week old dried out turkey sammitches on an old loaf of dollar store white bread, sack o’ chips, and a big honkin’ bottle of Coke. HEAVEN! … Or do you like Pepsi? You sound like a Pepsi man. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2018, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-mushrooms/820487/169 "2018-09-05T01:50:26Z")
I’m finishing a pint of pickled mushrooms from Whole Foods right now. DELICIOUS ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2018, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-mushrooms/820487/170 "2018-09-05T05:32:16Z")
This is probably a good place to mention that much of my Peace Corps service was finding funding for school mushroom-growing projects where I was in northern Thailand. Mae Hong Son is a remote province, and most items cost a bit more there due to the cost of shipping them in. Like mushrooms, which Thais really love. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2018, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-mushrooms/820487/171 "2018-09-05T18:33:51Z")
For eating yes. For recreational drugs, never had an interest. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2018, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-mushrooms/820487/172 "2018-09-06T06:05:01Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I associate all these with earthiness: mushrooms, beets, potatoes, rosemary, thyme, many blue cheeses, morbier cheese, dry-aged steak, rye bread, etc. They don’t all necessarily have the same flavor compounds, but they are all “earthy” flavors to me. As opposed to floral flavors, or berry flavors, or citrus flavors, or “green” flavors. > > Just Google “earthy flavor” and I’m sure you’ll find more examples. The only one of those that seem similar at all to me are potatoes. But I would say that’s only true of raw mushrooms. I just have a hard time figuring it out when cooked and uncooked mushrooms taste so different to me. Maybe some day I’ll find someone who has isolated the compounds so I can taste it. That’s what had to happen for me to figure out what umami was: I had to get my hands on actual MSG. ---
**Author:** ![blob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blob/32/489_2.png) [@blob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blob)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2018, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-mushrooms/820487/173 "2018-09-06T06:45:53Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Maybe some day I’ll find someone who has isolated the compounds so I can taste it. Have you ever been mushrooming, or have you only eaten ones from a shop? If you go and pick them, especially from a spot that’s all shady and a bit damp, you should get an idea of what pulykamell is talking about. Fresh mushrooms straight out of a pile of humus smell and taste earthy. Ones grown commercially may not have that same smell and flavour, they can be a bit more “bland”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-mushrooms/820487.md?page=8)