MUSHROOMS

Onion stalk, parasol, bleeding fairy helmet, lawyer's wig, chicken of the woods, native bread and velvet shank are some of the mushrooms you'll find in Australia. Some taste a lot better than others and have been championed as a sustainable alternative to meat. Across the world, growing mushrooms has helped disenfranchised people gain economic independence.

This episode features food, travel and cheese judge, Mike Butler; co-founder and chief science officer of Fable, Jim Fuller; and farmer, educator and founder of The Future of Hope Foundation, Chido Govera. A special thanks to the Australian Mushroom Growers Association; the National Film and Sound Archive; and the Tasmanian Archives.

This episode was inspired by items from the Powerhouse Collection, including a glass plate negative of the Hawkesbury bridge; a model of stink horn fungus; and a mushroom shaped decanter topper.

Culinary Archive Podcast is a Powerhouse series hosted by Lee Tran Lam. Listen to season 1 on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube.

Image: Alana Dimou