General Information
Baby Portobello mushrooms are similar in appearance to the Whites because they come from the same family (Agaricus). Look for a naturally light tan to rich brown cap and a very firm texture. They have a deeper, denser, earthier flavor than White mushrooms.
Among English speakers, Agaricus bisporus is known by many names. A young specimen with a closed cap and either pale white or light brown flesh are known as a button mushroom or white mushroom. When the flesh darkens, the immature mushroom is variously known as a crimini mushroom, baby portobello, baby bella, mini bella, portabellini, Roman mushroom, Italian mushroom, or brown mushroom. At this stage of maturation, the cap may also begin to open slightly. In maturity, it is called a portobello (frequently misspelled as portabello, or portobella). The French name is champignon de Paris (“Paris mushroom”).
History
The Portabello mushroom is of Italian origin and gets its namesake from Portobello, a town in Italy. The first documented cultivation of Agricus bisporus was made by French botanist Joseph Pitton de Tournefort in 1707. Portabellos grow stacked in specially designed rooms with controlled temperature, humidity, and fresh air. They propagate with the assistance of agar, grain spawn, and pasteurized substrates. Different strains and growing times allow this one singular species to achieve distinguished and different variations in color, size, and flavor. Wild Portabella mushrooms thrive on manure heaps, in garden wastes and along roadsides.
