# Mushrooms, Cooking, and... TMI **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 1, 2005, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mushrooms-cooking-and-tmi/328891 "2005-11-01T11:15:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mushrooms-cooking-and-tmi/328891/1 "2005-11-01T11:15:37Z")
I don’t know about anyone else on this board, but I’ve often heard the complaint when I’m sitting down to some mushrooms to eat, that they’re sacrophagic organisms that live off death, and once we die they’re going to eat us. To them, this seems to be the ultimate reason **not** to eat shrooms. They usually get a little green at the edges when I point out that I knew that, and that I’m eating these fungi, now, in an effort to get my revenge in, while I still can. I’ve never had anyone complain about how illogical it is to avenge yourself before the action that needs avenging, just that fungi are “ewwwwwww.” Anyways, this morning I was thinking… Yes, dangerous habit, I know. If it’s considered reasonable to avenge oneself on fungi ahead of time, why can’t we go after the worms, too? I know hundreds of ways to prepare mushrooms of various types for eating as succulent and appealing meals, accents, or side dishes. I don’t know of one recipe for worms. (And, sorry, but the suggestions from [How to Eat Fried Worms](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0440445450/qid=1130843564/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-8458707-6172932?v=glance&s=books&n=507846) do not look appealing.) I know at least one recipe for mouse. But never one for worms. Given all the knowledge out there on the Dope, I’m sure someone has a recipe I can look at that will be at least partially appealing. At least one of the biologists have to have considered it. Right? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mushrooms-cooking-and-tmi/328891/2 "2005-11-01T11:32:50Z")
Not all fungi are saprophytic, but the ones eaten by humans are not those that feed upon dead animals (including humans) anyway; they live on decaying plant matter, so what’s the big deal? Besides which, the essential nutrients for the growth of most vegetables comes from manure; it’s all recycled death, shit or rock anyway, so tuck in. I remember seeing an article about eating worms on a UK TV news magazine programme back in the 80s; they showed a worm quiche, but they didn’t say what it tasted like. We dissected an earthworm at school and I seem to remember it being quite stinky; I would imagine it would be something like eating a mixture of smelly fish and gritty mud. ---
**Author:** ![Tentacle\_Monster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba9def/32.png) [@Tentacle\_Monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tentacle_Monster)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mushrooms-cooking-and-tmi/328891/3 "2005-11-01T14:53:12Z")
IIRC, the Army Field Manual has the following instructions for eating earthworms: 1. Catch worms. 2. Put worms in a container of potable water. 3. Wait for the worms to purge the dirt from their guts. 4. Eat live. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mushrooms-cooking-and-tmi/328891/4 "2005-11-01T15:00:07Z")
A good reason to eat mushrooms? _Eat it before it eats you._ ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mushrooms-cooking-and-tmi/328891/5 "2005-11-01T15:48:58Z")
Well, do you count mealworms, or are we limited to earthworms? There are lots of recipes for roasted mealworms, crushed mealworms or mealworm “flour”. Google gives over [10,000 hits](http://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial_s&hl=en&q=mealworm+recipes&btnG=Google+Search) for **mealworm recipes**.