Crimini Mushrooms

Crimini Mushrooms. The difference between these popular varieties of mushrooms is just age. The white button mushrooms, those very familiar kitchen staples, are simply the youngest variety. They have been cultivated, too, for that white color and soft texture. In the wild these mushrooms are usually browner.

• The portobello is the most mature mushroom here; it’s really just an overgrown white mushroom! They are left to grow for longer, until they have spread out into that delicious meaty cap.

• cremini mushroom, then, is just in between these two varieties. It’s a moderately mature version of the white button mushroom, which is why it has a similar flavor. It’s younger than the portobello, but still related, which is why these are sometimes sold as “baby bella” or “baby portobello” mushrooms.

We enjoy the cremini mushrooms a lot; their slightly more mature state means that they have a browner color, firmer texture, and better flavor than the younger white mushrooms. We use them frequently in stews and soups, since we find that they hold up better in liquid.

Cremini mushrooms, like white button and portobello, can be found in just about any produce section. They’re more flavorful than white mushrooms, without being as large and meaty as the supersized portobellos. But what are creminis? And are they the same as baby bella mushrooms? Consider this your primer to all things cremini.

Cremini mushrooms (also spelled “crimini”) are Agaricus bisporus mushrooms, which is actually the same type of mushroom as white mushrooms and portobellos, the only difference being their stage of maturity. Cremini mushrooms have a mild, earthy flavor and a meaty texture