The fully mature brown-capped form of Agaricus bisporus, with broad open gills and a meaty texture.
Where it grows
The portobello is simply a cremini left to mature for an extra week or two until the cap fully opens. Its rise to culinary fame began in 1980s California, where growers needed to sell their over-mature cremini and rebranded the large open caps with an Italian-sounding name.
How to recognise it
A wide flat brown cap on a short stout stem, with deep chocolate-brown gills openly exposed. The flesh is dense and juicy, and the smell at maturity is strong and meaty.
Edibility & cautions
A staple safe edible. Cook thoroughly. The exposed gills release dark juices in cooking that can muddy other ingredients; many cooks scrape them out before grilling. The hollow space left makes excellent stuffing.
Culinary use
The cap is famous as a meat substitute: marinate whole and grill or pan-sear to render the texture steak-like; stuff with garlic-buttered breadcrumbs, cheese, or rice; slice into thick strips for fajitas and stir-fries.
Find more mushrooms by letter
Portobello starts with P and ends with O. Browse other mushrooms along the same letter.
Mushrooms that contain a letter from "Portobello":