Mushroom is a very strange and peculiar product. It's neither plant nor animal and scientists have categorized it under a separate name - "Fungi Kingdom."
 

There are about 100 000 types of mushrooms in the world. It has a high gastronomic value and reacts perfectly to thermal treatment. Mushrooms are popular food, but because of containing a risk of poisoning, we have to be really cautious with it.  Healthy and toxic mushrooms mostly look alike. Edible mushrooms come with a soft cloud-like mass below their caps consisting of spores. Consider that most of the mushrooms change color after picking and we must be able to recognize edible mushrooms in the very moment of picking.
 

Healthy mushrooms are  champignon, chanterelle, Caesar's mushroom, honey fungus, grass-green Russula, fleecy milk-cap, oyster mushroom, Ramaria flava, etc.   

People use both fresh and dried mushrooms in culinary. Pickled mushrooms are also very popular. Apart from knowing how the edible pieces look like, you should also be aware how to cook certain kind of mushroom and which product goes better with which type. Generally speaking onion, garlic and parsley goes well with mushrooms. To keep its natural aroma cooks usually do not use such strong spices and greens as laurel, dried coriander and cloves in mushroom soups and sauces.

Georgians adore mushrooms prepared on a clay-pan, also cooked with onions and mushroom pilaf. It is often stuffed in pastries, roulettes, Khinkali, and dumplings. Most expensive mushroom is a truffle, which is growing in the ground. French people train pigs and dogs for finding and digging the truffles out from the ground.