Mushroom Culture Close to Home

Want wild mushroom flavor with backyard convenience? In the Fungi Perfecti catalog, you can find the equipment and the spores to grow your own mushrooms.

Shiitake and oyster mushroom logs have been fairly common for several years, but Fungi Perfecti also offers spores to grow morels and shaggy manes, as well as test-tube cultures for at least a dozen other varieties. For more information, call (360) 426-9292.

Another good source for unusual mushrooms--these are for eating, not planting--is the Mushroom Man. Owner Beau Buck searches out pink trumpets, rose clusters and other rare varieties for Southern California restaurants and hotels. (Those are Mushroom Man’s gorgeous beauties pictured on the cover.) Through the service’s home gourmet line (No. 4 on the phone menu), any mushroom lover can buy what the chefs use. Call (800) 945-3404 for a catalog.