From nutrition facts and menu trends to different varieties and flavors, the Mushroom Council has all the educational resources you are looking for.

Mushrooms in Meatless Cuisine Sell Sheet discusses the increasing popularity of meatless meals and the important role that mushrooms play in vegetarian cuisine. Mushrooms’ meaty flavor and texture make them a great meat alternative in vegetarian dishes, while making a meal sophisticated and satisfying.

Talking Mushrooms One-Pager includes a testimonial from Chef Bob Okura of The Cheesecake Factory. Chef Okura describes mushrooms as a “culinary gift,” offering versatility, “cravability,” and the ability to increase sales – in fact, the Grand Lux Café sold 35,000 “Wild Mushroom Burgers” in 2008. The sheet also highlights some of the 34 mushroom menu items currently on The Cheesecake Factory menu and three mushroom dishes on the new small plate value menu.

Promoting Mushrooms Guide gives step-by-step instructions on how to create your own mushroom promotion. Based on the Applebee’s server incentive program, the guide explains how to select mushroom menu items to promote, educate wait staff and negotiate program costs, timelines and goals. It also includes a sample contract and server card to download and cater to your own promotional program.

Value of Mushrooms Sell Sheet explores how mushrooms can help foodservice professionals cut costs and add value with mushrooms. The brochure also explains how chefs can save by adding inexpensive mushrooms to cut back on costly proteins and cross utilize mushrooms in every cuisine or day part of the day.

Mushroom Varieties Poster Provides information on different flavors, preparation steps and best uses of the five most popular mushroom varieties.

Mediterranean Sell Sheet Uncover mushrooms, the hidden treasure of the Mediterranean. Mushrooms are an essential, authentic part of Mediterranean foods across the region’s diverse cuisines. Mushrooms’ earthy, meaty, satisfying flavor profile complements any Mediterranean dish.

Umami Sell Sheet Discover the taste of umami in nature’s hidden treasure, mushrooms. Umami is the fifth basic taste after sweet, salty, bitter and sour. Derived from the Japanese word, umai, meaning “delicious,” umami (pronounced oo-MAH-mee) is described as a savory, brothy, rich or meaty taste sensation.

Foodservice Brochure Highlights contemporary mushroom recipes and photography, current nutrition information as well as tips on the best ways to store and handle mushrooms.

Culinary CD With a quarter-of-a-million students graduating from more than 450 culinary programs in the U.S., the Mushroom Council developed a CD to reach this growing supply of future menu decision makers. The CD contains a wealth of mushroom information including recipes, storage and handling advice, nutrition facts and a virtual tour. Please contact the Mushroom Council at 408-432-7210 or info@mushroomcouncil.com to request your own copy of the newly released Culinary School CD!

Breakfast Tips Provides tips on how using fresh mushrooms can help in developing healthy menus. Learn how to make fresh mushrooms “Nature’s Hidden Treasure” on your menu, as they have the power to satisfy consumer demand for flavor and healthfulness across multiple menu parts and segments. Naturally versatile across several ethnic cuisines, mushrooms are widely available in many varieties and value-added forms. Combined with positive consumer perception, fresh mushrooms plus new or existing concepts add up to a simple, valuable component on your menu.

Umami White Paper To help foodservice operators incorporate umami into their menus, and to provide simple answers for media and food professionals, the Mushroom Council compiled the most current information from leading experts in the field with a new white paper titled “Umami: If You’ve Got It, Flaunt It.” The white paper explains what umami is and how it can be used to the maximum flavor advantage.

How Mushrooms’ Nutrients Stack Up With fewer calories than a rice cake and zero grams of fat, mushrooms are still a source of several important nutrients. Download this handout to discover some of nature’s hidden treasures found in mushrooms and learn why they are an ideal food for every body.

Mushroom Education Workbook A great resource for teachers and students with information and lesson plans about the history of mushrooms, farming in Kennett Square, Penn., how mushrooms grow, the parts of mushrooms and recycling in the mushroom-farming industry.

Assessment of Fresh Mushrooms in the Foodservice Channel Conducted in 2005, this survey is the latest foodservice awareness, attitudes and usage survey.  It provides key insights into the state of the foodservice industry today, as well as perceptions of fresh mushrooms.