At this year’s Summer Fancy Food Showcase in New York, mushrooms starred in a growing number of snack offerings. Portabellas and shiitakes masquerade as meat in plant-based jerky. South Mill Champs from Pennsylvania offered Shrooms Shrooms Splits Jerky, combining mushroom jerky with beef or turkey jerky as a nod to the “blended burger” trend in restaurants, mixing meat and mushrooms to create a healthier, more sustainable option.
From MudLrk in La Porte, Indiana, Shiitake Mushroom Chips are fried in palm oil and seasoned with spices, herbs and dried vegetables. Flavors include ranch, Kansas City barbecue and sriracha. The Mushroom Benefit Ltd., Netanya, Israel, is launching Umamis Crunchy Snacks, an extruded, puffed snack made from king oyster mushrooms and corn in salt and pepper, salt and vinegar, and barbecue flavors.
“The mushroom base enabled us to design a snack that is all-natural and tasty, as well as delivering mycotherapeutic functionality,” said Mira Weigensberg, chief executive officer and co-founder of The Mushroom Benefit, Ltd. Brands are also harnessing the functionality of fungus in new beverages, including a shiitake oolong tea and a slow-brewed chaga drink that debuted at the show.
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