Foraging for Fungi at the Market
Take a self-guided tour to explore the fabulous flavours of the fungi at the Market.
The Market will be hosting A Fungi Affair from 16 June to 25 June.
Ticket holders will take a self-guided tour around the Market, sampling fungi dishes from restaurants and food traders where they will find out all about fantastic fungi.
This hearty plantlike form has a delicious, dense meaty texture and a rich flavour that gives it a reputation as being meat for vegetarians. Distinctive with a cap and stem developed from a nodule the fruiting sprouts up above ground sometimes seemingly overnight.
In Australia, the mushroom season begins in autumn when we start to see cooler weather and wet conditions, particularly in the southern parts of the country.
A Fungi Affair ticket holders will sample food from:
- Claypots Evening Star – Roux based Autumnal mushroom chowder seasoned with thyme and a dash of truffle oil (V)
- Smithburg - Creamy mac and cheese enriched with seasonal fungi (V)
- Simply Spanish - Crispy beer battered mushroom on a bed of beautiful rich tomato romesco sauce, topped with air-dried chorizo
- Fritz Gelato - A rich gelato flecked with umami truffles giving it sweet and savoury notes (V)
- Pieno Di Grazia - Wild truffled mushroom arancini balls with truffle mayo (V)
- Cannoleria - Cannoli filled with dark chocolate-infused ricotta garnished with crunchy mushroom chips. (V)
- Agathé Pâtisserie - Brioche filled with a duxelles of champignons de Paris mixed with shallot crème fraîche and parmesan (V)
- Cobb Lane Bakery - Porcini baguette with truffle butter on the side (V)
- Bambu - Vegetable and mushroom gyoza seasoned with truffle and spiced soy dressing (V)
Standard ticket holders will also receive a Fungi Stamp Card, Fungi Map, and Market bag and can visit venues in their own time, during their allotted session time.
There is also an option to upgrade your ticket to include an exclusive produce bag filled with fungi products including
- Dried Chanterelles from South Melbourne Market Grocer
- Gouda with Truffles from K-SEIN
- Mushroom and Spinach Ravioli from The Fresh Pasta Shop
- Tuscan risotto mix with herbs from Emerald Deli
- Shitake mushroom crisps from Moses & Co. Market Whole Foods
- Truffle oil from Vangeli's Deli
Please note these are strictly limited so get in quick to secure yours!
Health benefits of the fungi
From prebiotics properties to promote gut health to protecting the heart the health-giving properties of mushrooms are extensige. Rich in vitamin D, mushrooms are one of the few vegetarian sources of vitamin D.
They also contain beta-glucan, a compound that boosts immune cells and selenium, an antioxidant both of which increase your ability to ward off infection, particularly useful in the winter months.
Fungi varieties available at the Market
| White | Specialty | Wild | Dried |
| Button | Enokie | Pine | Porcini |
| Cup | Oyster/Pearl | Slippery Jacks | Mixed |
| Field/Flat | Shimenji | Lionsmane | Chanterelle |
| Portobello | Shitake | Black Fungi | Wild Forest |
| Swiss | King Oyster |
Find them at all our Fruit & Veg stores.
Preparation
Don't peel the skin! It's full of flavour, just clean it with a damp cloth and brush off any dirt. Same goes for the stems, use up every bit of this tasty vegetable.
Storage
Most of our fruit & veg stores have brown paper bags adjacent to their supply of mushrooms you can use not only to purchase in but also ensure that once in the fridge your mushrooms will last a week.
Poached eggs and mushrooms on toast are a quick breakfast delight!
Calling all Truffle Lovers
Autumn is truffle season at the Market and we're celebrating everything about this magnificent subterranean fungi that we love, which adds a umami flavour to our food. In our aisles you'll find high quality truffles plus cheeses, salts, oils, honey, tapanades, salsa, pasta and more!
Australia is the fourth largest truffle producer in the world, producing two varieties – French black and Perigord. We've put together a list of where to hunt down some of these highly prized delicacies to satisfy your taste for finer things this winter.
Georgie’s Harvest Coventry Street
Georgie is our resident Australian truffle specialist with black truffles from all around Australia of the highest quality, professionally graded truffles of culinary merit. She advises that truffles work best if they are infused with butter.
Butter tells your mouth that something good is about to happen. And then the butter activates the truffle.
When asked for a butter recommendation Georgie says Gippsland Jersey Butter works well to activate and release the optimal truffle taste and enhance your cooking.
In her stall you'll also find truffle white and black oil from Truffle Hunter, Stonebarn and Sabatino, truffle carpaccio from Abatino Artufi, salsa and zest from Sabatino.
Deli Aisle
Emerald Deli make their own truffle brie, pecorino, manchengo and stock local and European truffle cheese as well such as Ford Farm Truffler cheddar and Tamar Valleys' truffled brie.
Owner, Maria Totos recommends trying something different by pairing a blue cheese with an oil or tapenade.
Maria stocks a large selection of Truffle Hill's range which includes Truffle Hill oil plus truffle chilli oil, truffle mustard, mushroom and truffle tapenade and truffle honey.
K-Sein Fromagerie have a truffle butter, truffle perie (raclette), a cremeur truffle (Triple cream truffle) and owner Victor Persinette-Gautrez will be making a special housemade 'brie founné à la truffle'.
The Fresh Pasta Shop have a sensational goats cheese and truffle ravioli which would be perfectly paired with a truffle oil or tapenade.
Vangeli's Deli's selection of truffle products include a salami, D'Affonois brie, Sommerdale truffle cheddar, whole truffles, white and black truffle oil, honey, aioli, salsa and salts.
The Pasta Shop make Goats Cheese and Truffle Ravioli