Unboxed: 5 products supercharging mushroom madness

While the ancient wisdom of using mushrooms for health benefits has been firmly entrenched for some time now, the latest trend with these fungi focuses increasingly on their versatility as a whole-food ingredient. This attraction might range from adding the meaty texture and earthy flavors of mushrooms to plant-based foods and meat alternatives to their adaptability in terms of taking on spicy, savory and even sweet flavors.

Indeed, the past 12 months might well go down in history as the “year of the mushroom,” given all the mushroom-based munchables that have been making waves since last year’s Natural Products Expo East. Now, as we prepare for another expo in September, we can’t help wondering what new mushroom-centric foods might catch our eyes (and tastebuds).

With that in mind, let’s look at five of the most thought-provoking products we’ve seen this year. It’s enough to inspire a little mushroom madness.