Slow down folks. This is about common edible mushrooms used in cooking and not the magic mushroom used elsewhere😜.
Mushrooms are still subjected to controversy, whether it's vegetarian or not.
Since it's a fungi, some people refrain from eating it, but folks like my brother and I, devour and ravish ourselves in the King of Umami - Mushrooms.
Mushrooms are the new craze in the town. As more people are moving towards veganism and vegetarianism, mushrooms mimick the fleshiness, taste, nutrients and texture of animal proteins. A staple in vegan and keto diets, mushrooms are a very good source of nutrients.
Global spread
Mushrooms are found all over the world, even in the Arctic and Antarctic regions (may or may not be edible). You can see mushrooms, in every cuisine, from Japanese to Continental, from the traditional English breakfast to the Nigerian soups; they are omnificent and ubiquitous.
Mushrooms in cooking
Mushrooms were first used as culinary edibles in the Egyptian and the Roman empire. They were considered as the 'Food for the Gods' and only the Emperor and the Pharaohs were allowed to eat it.
Mushrooms also find a place in traditional medicines in China and Japan. In Western cultures, mushroom cultivation trace back to 17th century. And in the United States, they were used in cooking only by the 19th century.
Mushroom - a profile
There are several hundred types of mushrooms available. Let's look at a common few.
1. White Button mushrooms
Commonly found in the Indian cooking. It is cost effective and adds a great depth of flavor to your soups, biryani, noodles and so on. Women entrepreneurs are the leading cultivators of these mushrooms, thereby creating employment and financial independency.
2. Cremini Mushrooms
These mushrooms are similar to white button mushrooms. The difference being the maturity age. If white button mushrooms are left a little longer to mature, they would become cremini mushrooms.
These mushrooms are widely used in the Western cuisines.
3. Portobello mushrooms
They are the most matured and bigger versions of the above mushrooms. White button, cremini, and portobello belong to same species - Agaricus bisporos, the only difference being the age of these mushrooms. Portobello is widely use in vegan burgers and due to its versatility it also found a prestigious place in the menu of the White house guest dinner to the Indian PM Shri. Narendra Modi in June 2023.
4. Shiitake mushrooms
These mushrooms are native to East Asia, found both in dried and fresh versions. They are very much used in ramens and broths, Added to it, they are used in traditional medicines as well.
5. Morels
Morels are very expensive and they are mostly found in the wild. Gucchi, a variety of morel, the most expensive mushroom of India, is found in northwestern Himalayas and costs around Rs.30,000 per kg.
They are very difficult to be commercially cultivated as its hard to mimic the favorable environment conditions.
6. Truffles
Another expensive mushroom. They are not directly cooked, but rather used as a garnish. Now there are - truffle butter, truffle oil, truffle salt and many more, to infuse the distinct taste of the truffles in cooking. 
Hope this blog changes my Dad's preferences. Cheers until the next one.
What is umami - the Fifth taste ?
Umami means 'pleasant savory taste' in Japanese. Imagine tasting savory, tartness and a hint of sweetness combined. Well, that is Umami. It is found in foods that have high amino acid glutamate. Some examples other than mushrooms are - miso, soy sauce, parmesan cheese, dry fish and seaweeds. Fermented foods also have high umami taste - example being kimchi. Umami as the fifth taste, gained widespread recognition only in the late 20th century, globalization being the reason.