Mushrooms are edible

In India, lakhs of people are directly or indirectly dependent on
mushroom cultivation and is a source of their livelihood. Youth and
women are adopting it as an occupation. The country is now producing around one lakh metric tones of mushrooms annually.
Mushrooms with fleshy content is edible, and are non poisonous having desirable taste and aroma.
Not all mushrooms are edible, only less than ten per cent may be
edible. They belong to fungal species, and can grow either below or
above the ground. Mushrooms growing below the ground are known as hypogeous and above the ground are known as epigeous. Epigeous can be seen with naked eye and can be picked up by hand. Some times mushroom are wild, and in most of times they are harvested.
Wild mushrooms that can be edible should be identified to ensure
safety. Because in some individuals it cause allergic reactions.
Moreover old or improperly stored specimens can cause food poisoning.
Recent research shows that due to its anti-tumor properties and
capacity for stimulating the immune system, some species like shitake and oyster mushrooms could provide a powerful new weapon in the fight against cancer. They can also help to reduce side-effects from radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and improve the quality of life for patents in the advanced stages of cancer.
Many of them contain an amino acids, for example, white button mushrooms contain more protein than kidney beans. Shiitake mushrooms are good source of protein. Many are rich in unsaturated fatty acids, as well as the minerals such as potassium, phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium, and in vitamin B, vitamin D, and some of them contain vitamin C in significant amount. The presence of complex sugars, namely polysaccharides are said to be enhance the activity of the immune system.
The market for mushrooms are growing and demand for it is increasing due to interest in their culinary, nutritional, and health benefits. It gives an opportunity for formers those who are interested in an additional enterprise as they can cultivate it in small scale production. It can also play an important role in managing farm organic wastes.
Mushrooms do not contain chlorophyll and depend on other
plant material for their food. At the same time, cultivation of mushrooms are labor intensive, and needs optimal temperature.