SALT LAKE CITY, UT (Good Things Utah) – April 16 is the day of the mushroom, and what better way to celebrate than enjoying some of the mushroom dishes that are unique to Salt Lake. Heather King is the food writer behind SLC Lunches, and she told us about different types of culinary mushrooms and where you can find them in dishes around the city.

There are 10,000 kinds of mushrooms, 300 of which are safe to eat. One specific mushroom, the porcini, received special attention in Utah last month as the governor named it the state mushroom. Porcini grow in high forests and reflect a healthy forest and have an earthy, umami flavor.

Some mushrooms are grown here in Utah, like lion’s mane and shiitake from Intermountain Gourmet Mushroom grownin Ogden. Intermountain’s shiitake mushrooms are featured in the mushroom beignets from Franklin Ave. The savory beignets are made with roasted and pickled shiitakes, topped with a green goddess dressing. Another wonderful dish at Franklin Ave. is their black miso cod. It has lion’s mane and oyster mushrooms to compliment the blackened cod in a miso broth.

Adelaide has another fantastic mushroom dish. It is a take on Spanish garlic shrimp based around different types of mushrooms instead of shrimp. Packed with natural flavors, this vegetarian dish is one you can’t miss.

Heather features the best eats all around Utah on her website www.SLCLunches.com, as well as on Instagram, and Facebook. Check out her profiles and follow along to find a new restaurant to try.