Fungi and our food. Mushrooms. Button mushrooms are the only vegan source of vitamin D

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1 Mmm Fungi and our food Mmm Fungi are responsible for a huge amount of the food we eat. Here are just some of the products you are likely to recognise from your very own kitchen cupboards. Mushrooms Button mushrooms are the only vegan source of vitamin D Ok, this one s obvious. The everyday button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) you ll find in supermarkets is probably what most people think of when they hear the word mushroom. But did you know this brilliant food is the only vegan source of vitamin D? They re also packed with fibre and anti-oxidants. What s more, button mushrooms and Portobello mushrooms are basically the same. Portobello mushrooms have just been grown for longer.

2 Beer Yeast is a type of fungus and without yeast there would be no beer. The sugars in the various cereals used to make beer are fermented by the yeast, which produces the alcohol in the beer. This particular type of yeast is called Saccharomyces cerevisiae (which is even harder to say after a few beers!) Yeast is a type of fungus used in the making of beer Enzymes from certain moulds are used in making cheese Cheese Imagine a world without cheese. No, don t, it s too awful. If it weren t for fungi this might become a reality. Enzymes from certain moulds like Aspergillus are added to milk to make curds, which are then used to make cheese. Blue cheeses get their distinctive flavour and blue veins from moulds like Penicillum roqueforti.

3 Marmite For years, people brewing beer were left with an annoying by-product called spent brewer s yeast and had to find ways to get rid of it. That was until a German chemist found a way to compress and burst the yeast cells, creating a product designed to mimic the look and taste of meat paste whilst remaining vegetarian: and so Marmite was born! People still disagree on whether he should have done it. Marmite is produced from a beer by-product Quorn contains dietary fibre and is also low in fat Quorn This veggie replacement for meat is made from the fungus Fusarium venenatum which is grown in large fermenters. This Myco-protein contains dietary fibre, unlike beef, and is also low in fat, making it a healthy meat alternative.

4 Fizzy drinks Without fungi, fizzy drinks would be a whole lot more explosive. Citric acid is produced by the fungi Aspergillus niger and A. wentii (600,000 tonnes a year to be exact) which is used to stabilise carbonic acid, the ingredient that makes your drink fizz. Without this, the drink would fizz up and then immediately go flat. Citric acid is produced by two types of fungi The fungus yeast is used in the production of bread Bread Another important use of the fungus yeast is in making bread. With the addition of water, sugar, salt and a warm environment the yeast will produce carbon dioxide and alcohol. The gooey gluten protein inside wheat dough traps these gas bubbles and that s what makes your bread rise. When the bread dough is cooked, the alcohol evaporates but the bubbly structure remains.

5 Chocolate and coffee Fungi are used in the production of chocolate and coffee The process is called fermentation and fungi are very good at it Fungi are involved in the production of chocolate and coffee. They help to break down the sticky stuff that protects the coffee bean (which grows inside a larger protective covering known as the cherry) and the chocolate beans (which also grow inside a larger part called the pod). After this, coffee and cocoa beans can be further processed. The process is called fermentation and fungi are very good at it. In chocolate production, the fungal fermentation is absolutely essential for flavour development. Learn more about the amazing kingdom of fungi and find more great resources: Had fun learning about fungi? Share your stories and pictures with us!