Fad Fungi: Mushrooms are Trendy
For a changing America, mushrooms are new taste makers
Move over succulents — there’s a new “It” plant in town.
Or rather, a new fungus.
The New York Times recently declared that the fungus is among us, and it’s hard to disagree. If the exaltation of the mushroom is news to you, it certainly won’t stay that way for long; the fleshy-skinned fungi is quickly sprouting up on consumer goods, beauty counters, shelves and runways. There are now over 9.5 million #mushroom posts on Instagram (#mileycyrus trails at 7 million). All of this sudden fame has many asking the same question as Strategist’s Sydney Gore: “Why are mushrooms taking over my social media feed, my medicine cabinet and my closet?”
As a cultural + consumer strategist — and an amateur mushroom forager — I set out to explore the forces propelling mushrooms out of the specialty section and into various reaches of pop-culture.
Let’s start, as one always should, with pies and psychedelic Judaism.
Escapist fantasies are making mushrooms vogue. Again.
Mushrooms seem to become trendy whenever society is uncomfortable with a rapidly changing world. In the Industrial Revolution, urban dwellers in soot-choked factories and slums snapped up fairy tales and pastoral fantasies, fawning over illustrations of toadstools and tales of enchanted mushrooms — like Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. In the turmoil of the Vietnam Era ‘60s and ‘70s, mushrooms once again became a widespread motif, appearing in the form of the art and music of counter-culture. You probably won’t need to Go Ask Alice as to why.
The escape that mushrooms provide — either allegorical or literal — have brought them to the forefront of America’s consciousness once more.
In 2018 the trend known as cottagecore began surfacing. For the uninitiated, Cottagecore is a rural fantasy aesthetic that speaks to a desire to live simpler lives closer to nature. Or, manic pixie girl goes screaming into the woods. This fantasy is lived through the taking and sharing of soapy images of thatched roofs, rustic pies and rambling English gardens, and, of course, mushrooms.
The colorful caps and wooded haunts of mushrooms lead them to accent mood boards, giphy stickers, Taylor Swift fan art, Etsy shops and video games like Animal Crossing. There, they effortlessly communicate a purity and authenticity inherently found in nature, bearing with them the somewhat magical association still left-over from Victorians.
As we collectively grapple with our place in a digitally driven, tech-heavy, mass-produced world, mushrooms flourish because of their symbolism of escape — just like they did for the turn of the century naturalists and psychedelic Hippies before us.
A shifted idea of “wellness” is shifting focus to mushrooms
Once upon a time if you wanted to buy natural wellness products you’d jog down to a speciality shop, vanishing into a thick cloud of incense. Today, essential oils, palo santo, sage and healing crystals can all be purchased at Walmart along with your Cheetos and diapers. Cultural acceptance for alternate treatments and pseudo-cures for body and soul are more commonplace than fringe, which has put a new focus on the powers of fungi.
Over the years the real estate mushroom supplements have had on the shelves of pharmacies has expanded; cruise the aisles of CVS and you’ll spy fungi products touting benefits for brain function, energy, immunity and stress, memory, nerve health…and more. Reishi (or lingzhi), lion’s mane and cordyceps are becoming products du jour for their alleged healing abilities and ancient use in various Asian cultures, and public interest in them has skyrocketed over the last 5 years. Leading the pack in renewed public interest, however, is the historically most illicit.
A surprisingly study in the Journal of Psychopharmacology found a seismic cultural shift from America of 50 years ago: the general public perception today of psychedelic mushrooms is that they are less dangerous than the likes of alcohol, tobacco and other substances. Where they were once seen as the paragon of immorality and capable of destroying the very fabric of society, psychedelic mushrooms are now being posed as a new panacea.
The change is undoubtedly aided by new research on psilocybin — the psychedelic compound in magic mushrooms — which show promise for a host of mental health disorders including PTSD and depression. Further credibility and an allure of innovation comes from their use for biohacking among by the Silicon Valley set, many of who believe micro-dosing with it can lead to greater mental clarity and creativity. For religious groups like the followers of Psychedelic Judaism, magic mushrooms are used as a tool for spirituality, with devotees believing it can help heal intergenerational trauma. While these groups couldn’t be more different they share a common hope: answers to modern problems can be found in the natural world, and mushrooms hold the key.
Social media encourages the growing and finding of mushrooms
The pandemic brought to the masses a heightened awareness of food supply chains, undergirded by fears of shortages, contamination and hoarding. Shelves went bare. On kitchen-sills, tender shoots of green onion provided a visible and psychological comfort. For others, so did mushrooms.
Matt McInnis, one of the founders of North Spore, reported his sales of mushroom growing supplies to have increased by 400% during the pandemic. The booming business was surely aided by the proud fungi farmers of Instagram, as mushroom grow kits became a quarantine obsession.
The Los Angeles Mycological Society (LAMS) is just shy of 500 members. Rich Collier is the LAMS Treasurer and also helps run social media for the society, where he’s noticed a trend: “Comments I see from people suggest they want to learn how to forage for mushrooms.” Where foraging was once considered more of a peculiar hobbyist or rural practice, increased cultural conversations online about self-sustainability — from patio composting to the more grim apocalyptic shelters and go-bags — may have introduced identifying wild mushrooms to a new breed of consumer: the socially curious shroomer.
John Thropay, LAMS Special Event Coordinator and self-professed intermediate identifier and hobbyist forager, has noticed growing interest coming from a younger, more casual demographic, one that has less of a formal education in biological sciences. “The availability of information because of the internet and social media is probably the biggest factor in the changes.” Young foraging influencers like Alexis Nikole — who goes by the handle BlackForager — are part of this change, as enthusiasts on TikTok and Instagram introduce a new generation to the art and pleasures of food sovereignty and the world of wild mushrooms.
Changing Tastes: Vegans, Foodies & Asians give mushrooms a boost
Thropay noted mushroom’s new star power is not only driven by the research into health benefits, but also our changing tastes. Chefs are using more gourmet mushrooms and “the growing population of vegans and the grow your own food movement are also factors.” His observation is certainly backed by data: a long-term study found that 9.6 million Americans observe a plant based diet, a 300% increase from 15 years ago. As many more go vegan, seek to reduce their general intake of meat, or dabble in “superfoods,” mushrooms are rising to the challenge, packaging themselves as gourmet snacks and even coffee alternatives like MUD\WTR.
Another factor that could be driving mushroom consumption: America’s growing Asian population. Mushrooms have historically had more prominent role in Eastern cultures and cuisine; mushroom consumption by Asian-Americans was estimated by the CSFII to be at 8.9 pounds — twice the consumption rate of the national average. With those of Asian descent being the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. population, it’s hypothesized immigration is changing the overall tastes of the nation, much like it did in the 70s after the removal of discrimantory immigration quotas led to a national boom in Chinese food. Asian gourmet mushrooms like shiitake and enoki have rise in popularity over the last decade, and are seemingly winning the taste buds of the mass epicurean.
Where mushrooms were once unceremoniously picked off pizza, our tastes and values have changed; today consumption of mushrooms has quadrupled since the 1960s, and on any given day 10% of the American population has eaten a mushroom. If you are what you eat, then America is becoming a table set for foodies, vegans, immigrants and socially conscious diners — and mushrooms are on the menu.
Interest in sustainability is taking mushrooms mainstream
In the age of a conscious consumer, how much energy, water and carbon emissions a food product require to grow are increasingly factors for consideration—putting new scrutiny on items like beef, milk and almonds. In this world, mushrooms are finding new popularity. According to the study The Mushroom Sustainability Story: Water, Energy and Climate Environmental Metrics, mushrooms have a remarkably low carbon footprint to grow and to harvest, making them a popular choice for sustainability seekers.
The plate isn’t the only place where mushrooms are the meat (or faux meat) of the sustainability conversation. Mycelium — the threadlike networks of mushrooms “roots” that grow underground — is the hottest new eco-material, thanks to its strength and natural sustainability. Brands like Adidas, McCartney and Hermès have all subbed mushroom leather into their collections in a bid to convince Green valuing Gen Z and Millennial’s that they, too, are eco-conscious.
North America has also emerged as the largest market for investing in new mushroom packaging material. Natural and biodegradable, fungi provides an alternative to foam and it’s big business: according to a 2019 report, the global mushroom packaging market was valued at $42 million in 2018, and is expected to reach $118 million by 2025.
As cultural values shift towards personal ownership of our environmental impact, consumers and brands are finding a friend in fungi.
Is this a fungi-fad, or are we forever changed?
While different plants go in and out of fashion (even bitter kale and brussels sprouts had their day), mushrooms may have struck a chord in our national psyche. From the socially conscious, wellness seeking, techies, druggies, religious, foodies, survivalist, Gen Z and Millennial, immigrants — mushroom have the mystical power of reflecting the varied and nuanced values of a diverse and rapdily changing cross-section of America.
It seems like at this point the better question isn’t if this is another fad, but rather, who will discover the magic of mushrooms next?
