ABSTRACT

Mushroom cultivation is a rather complicated process that produces a highly nutritious food of excellent taste from waste materials, contributing to the nutrition and economic welfare of the people. Fresh and preserved fruit bodies of about 200 mushroom species are consumed throughout the world as a delicacy particularly for their specic aroma, texture, and taste. According to the data of FAOSTAT (2014), total world production of mushrooms (including trufes) was nearly 8 million metric tons in 2012, with China being by far the leading producer (5.2 million tons). Among over 20 cultivated species, Agaricus bisporus (button mushroom, white mushroom, brown mushroom, or portobello) dominates worldwide, followed by Lentinula edodes (shiitake) and Pleurotus spp. (particularly P. ostreatus, oyster mushroom). In this chapter, dealing with cultivated mushrooms’ preservation and processing, their nutritional value and health-promoting effects are initially presented as well as the cultivation and harvesting methods affecting crop productivity, quality, and self-life.