Is a mushroom a vegetable?

[CyberSlag5k]

I say it is. Others say it isn't, and that a vegetable must be a plant. What say you, culinary gurus?

 

[college_cook]

I say it's a fungus.

 

[CyberSlag5k]

I say it's a fungus.

Well of course it is. But fungus is a classification of an organism's kingdom, not a food group.

 

[nytxn]

It's a Fungus... IMO

 

[Andy M.]

It comes from the plant kingdom rather than the animal kingdom so go ahead and call it a vegetable, I do.

Botanically speaking, I don't know if that's accurate and, while I'm curious, the answer won't change my use of the term. Similar to a tomato - I call it a vegetable although it's botanically classified as a fruit.

 

[CyberSlag5k]

It comes from the plant kingdom rather than the animal kingdom so go ahead and call it a vegetable, I do.

Therein lies the debate. A fungus is not a plant, it does not come from the plant kingdom; it comes from the fungus kingdom. But I don't agree with the argument that "it's not a vegetable it's a fungus" because that's like saying "a bean isn't a vegetable it's a legume". They're two different classifications.

What it comes down to is, does a vegetable have to be a plant (I'd say it doesn't), and if it does, then what is a mushroom if not a vegetable?

 

[Andy M.]

Therein lies the debate. A fungus is not a plant, it does not come from the plant kingdom; it comes from the fungus kingdom. But I don't agree with the argument that "it's not a vegetable it's a fungus" because that's like saying "a bean isn't a vegetable it's a legume". They're two different classifications.

What it comes down to is, does a vegetable have to be a plant (I'd say it doesn't), and if it does, then what is a mushroom if not a vegetable?

While your arguement is not logical, your point is valid. What it boils down to is that, in the vernacular, it's called a vegetable. I could argue that of three major categories; animal, vegetable, mineral; it fits as a vegetable.

Besides, vegetarians eat them!

 

[nytxn]

Down here in Texas, when you order a BBQ plate, they offer all kinds of stuff as 'vegetables'.

Mac-n-cheese is one of 'em...


I guess it depends on who you ask...

 

[CyberSlag5k]

Down here in Texas, when you order a BBQ plate, they offer all kinds of stuff as 'vegetables'.

Mac-n-cheese is one of 'em...


I guess it depends on who you ask...

Heh, that's great.

So I think to unravle this particular quandry, we must first define what exactly a vegetable (and in contrast a fruit) is. I've always gone by: if it has seeds, it's a fruit. If it is a seed, it's a vegetable. Mushrooms, however, have spores. And then there's roots (e.g. carrots) to consider...

The Oxford English Dictionary has this to say:
Vegetable - A plant cultivated for food; esp. an edible herb or root used for human consumption and commonly eaten, either cooked or raw, with meat or other article of food.

Fruit - The edible product of a plant or tree, consisting of the seed and its envelope, esp. the latter when it is of a juicy pulpy nature, as in the apple, orange, plum, etc.

Thus, a vegetable must be a plant? But why is that? What defines a plant is the presence of a cell wall. Plants are also autotrophic. Fungi do not have cell walls and they are heterogrophs. Interesting...

So if a mushroom isn't a vegetable, what is it? Is fungus actually a classification for food?

 

[Robo410]

technically or biologically no, but food group wise, yes.

but let's take it one further...steak with sauted mushrooms, it's an accompaniment or a "spice" but stuffed mushrooms or grilled portabellos it's the main. along side a roast or in a stew its more like the carrots and potatoes...back to veg.

 

[CyberSlag5k]

I say it's a vegetable, though in thinking about it, I think the nominclature could use more thorough definition.

 

[Chef Wil]

I say it's a vegetable, though in thinking about it, I think the nominclature could use more thorough definition.

Good choice, now I'm going to go fix a nice pot of Rock Stew and a tall Lumberjack Float for dessert

 

[RPCookin]

Therein lies the debate. A fungus is not a plant, it does not come from the plant kingdom; it comes from the fungus kingdom. But I don't agree with the argument that "it's not a vegetable it's a fungus" because that's like saying "a bean isn't a vegetable it's a legume". They're two different classifications.

What it comes down to is, does a vegetable have to be a plant (I'd say it doesn't), and if it does, then what is a mushroom if not a vegetable?

Um.... when I was in school there were only 2 kingdoms (kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, species, IIRC), plant and animal. Since it would be a stretch to call a mushroom an animal , it has to be a plant... and I think that any biologist would agree.

As to whether it's a vegetable, I'm not quite so certain of that. IMO, vegetable is purely a culinary term anyway. Most (not all... see carrot... ) of what we call vegetables are actually fruits to a biologist. And a mushroom definitely isn't a fruit.

I call it an ingredient (if it is mixed into a dish), or a side dish if it stands alone. All I know is that I eat a lot of them...

 

[Andy M.]

Um.... when I was in school there were only 2 kingdoms (kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, species, IIRC), plant and animal....

RP:

How old are you, man!?!? Things have changed since you were in school:

Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species

To date there are five kingdoms: Animalia, which is made up of animals; Plantae, which is made up of plants; Protista, which is made up of protists (single-celled creatures invisible to the human eye); Fungi, which is made up of mushrooms, mold, yeast, lichen, etc; and Monera, which is made up of the three types of bacteria.

I feel your pain . When I was in school, three wasn't a computer or digital calculator in sight! I carried a slide rule in college.

 

[Michael in FtW]

Now, be nice to the kids Andy - they probably wouldn't know a "slip-stick" if one hit them on the head. Much less what to do with one! Long live Micronta - long live K&E!!!

Mushrooms are a fungi .... neither plant nor animal as you said - they are sometimes used as a vegetable, sometimes as a meat (grilled portobello caps on a bun, for one example) for their "meaty" texture. This is getting kind of pedantic - like is chicken really meat if it's not beef?

 

[GB]

I don't know what the technical answer is, but for me the practical answer is that it is a vegetable. When my daughter is older and decides to push the mushrooms aside I will not say "eat your fungus'. I will of course tell her to eat her veggies. Just as a tomato is not technically a veggie we still all refer to it as one.

 

[Constance]

Don't feel bad, RPcookin, I learned the same thing you did. I guess we are fossils...LOL!

Thing is, vegetable is a grocery term, not a botanical one. So, as far as I'm concerned, shrooms are a vegie.

 

[Dove]

Does it really matter?? If you like them, then eat them. You could call it Ice Cream and I'd say "no thanks.."
Dove who eats almost anything..

 

[Andy M.]

...they probably wouldn't know a "slip-stick" if one hit them on the head. Much less what to do with one! Long live Micronta - long live K&E!!! ...

Michael:

I still have my K&E in the leather case. I used to be pretty good with it at one time but now, Excel and the electronic calculator have made it obsolete!

 

[Georgeco]

I'd go with: the fruiting body of a fugus