Most people know September as the month during which Labor Day falls or the month when summer begins to come to an end. People also recognize this month as the time when children start to head back to school if they’re not already in school by the end of August.

However, few people realize that September is also National Mushroom Month. This is a time to enjoy these edible members of the fungi family in all their glory. Although we don’t recommend that people pick their own mushrooms during this month, the local supermarket has a wide variety of mushrooms that should make celebrating this month a very memorable event indeed.

The History of National Mushroom Month

At the end of the 1980s, the U.S. Mushroom Council decided to create this month to promote the culinary uses of mushrooms, as well as their potential use in medical research.

The following year, U.S. President George H.W. Bush signed the Mushroom Promotion, Research, and Consumer Act of 1990. This officially codified the month, but it wouldn’t officially start being celebrated until 1993.

Fun Facts About Mushrooms

Although many people are fans of these fabulous fungi, we know there are an equal number of people who are disgusted by them. For some, it’s the texture, but for others, it’s because all they know about them is that they’re a fungus.

To show people that there’s more to them than that one little fact, we’ve decided to do some serious mushroom research. The following facts are what we discovered and are what we hope will change people’s minds about the suitability of mushrooms for their next meal.

• Mushrooms are more closely related to animals than they are to plants.
• Fungal mycelium can grow for miles, making fungi the largest form of life currently living on Earth.
• Trees can communicate with each other through mycorrhizal fungi networks. Scientists have dubbed this the “Wood Wide Web.”
• The information that trees can pass to one another through mycorrhizal fungi networks includes details about droughts, diseases, and pests.

Observing National Mushroom Month

Everyone is encouraged during this month to cook with mushrooms. And we’re not just talking about placing mushrooms on a pizza or tossing some sliced mushrooms into spaghetti sauce.

No, we’re talking about using them in interesting and delicious ways. This includes making Chicken and Mushroom Skillet, Fish Tacos with Mushrooms, Drunken Chicken with Rice and Mushrooms, or about a million other tasty mushroom dishes.

No matter what dish a person makes for National Mushroom Month, they should be sure to also spread the word about it using the hashtag #NationalMushroomMonth.