Bacon Flavored Mushrooms are here
Mushrooms that supposedly taste like bacon might be on the way to your local supermarket.
A variety of oyster mushrooms; grown by the Sonoran Mushroom Company in Tucson, Arizona, tastes like bacon when sautéed with salt and olive oil, KVOA Los Angeles and Fine Dining Lovers reported. The mushrooms are reportedly all natural and vegan.
Sonoran achieved the bacon flavor by growing the mushrooms in a special indoor facility which allows for total control of environment, humidity and temperature. Not surprisingly the bacon mushroom is the company’s most popular product according to Sonaran’s website.
Unfortunately the bacon mushrooms are only available at farmer’s markets in Tucson or for wholesale and restaurant orders from Sonoran. News stories did not say whether the company plans to distribute the mushrooms beyond Arizona or through national grocery chains such as Kroger (NYSE: KR). Since Kroger operates in Arizona as Smith’s it might be a natural fit. Nor did they say if there are any plans to license or sell the bacon mushrooms to other growers.
Although widespread distribution of the bacon mushrooms is probably inevitable. They seem like a logical ingredient for dishes such as pizza and salads as well as a perfect entrée for vegetarian restaurants.
There would be a Huge Market for Bacon Mushrooms
Long term uses might include as a hamburger topping; bacon burgers are popular in the United States, and as a low cost substitute for bacon. Currently the shrooms sell for $4.99 for a 1.5 ounce (42.5 gram) container which is about the same price for bacon.
Fast food restaurants like McDonald’s (NYSE: MCD) and Jack in the Box might want to take a look at bacon mushrooms. They might be a lower cost and healthier substitute for bacon, so might diner chains like Denny’s (NYSE: DENN) and Yum Brands (NYSE: YUM) which operates Pizza Hut. Both mushrooms and bacon are a popular pizza topping in the United States.
Kroger might be interested in bacon flavored mushrooms because it operates pizzerias and cafes in many of its grocery stores.
An intriguing use for bacon mushrooms would be in the space program. Particularly in Elon Musk’s proposed efforts to settle Mars where there are presumably no hogs. Mushrooms might be the most practical meat substitute on the Red Planet. Since it might take decades for Mars’ first hog farm to open, bacon mushrooms would be a welcome treat on Planet Musk.
Now only one question remains about bacon mushrooms – how might they taste with eggs or in a BLT (bacon lettuce tomato) sandwich? Bacon lovers are looking forward to the answer.
