Mushrooms are miracles of nature. They bear no flowers, nor do they contain chlorophyll; from white to black, they appear in a myriad of colors, shapes and sizes; some have soft flesh, some are fleshless.

Most mushrooms occur in nature in accordance with the autumn rains, while others appear in spring. A rainless summer is a tragedy for the true mushroom lover, for mushrooms contain high percentages of water and require plenty of rain. They thrive in woody areas in soil rich in humus. Their nutritional value is high compared to green vegetables, through not as high as the root vegetables. In terms of fullness and aroma, mushrooms are regarded as highly important in the world of gastronomy. Although wild mushrooms are highly prized, cases of poisoning from consumption of wild mushrooms are well known because of the difficulty most people have in recognising the poisonous from the edible varieties.