THE mushroom shop in Somerville offers a wide variety of edible fungi for your enjoyment.

By Jeffrey Shwom

THE mushroom shop, located on Medford Street at Central Street opposite the multi-colored row houses at 135-145 Medford Street, is a unique, corner spot. The front metal door is adorned with cheeky, witty and funny stickers like “Mushrooms are people too,” “Don’t you dare give up” and a mushroom shaped teapot.

It is a unique concept, if we think about one store for one type of fungi. To be clear, these are not special mushrooms like we are being asked to vote on for the 2024 referendum on November 5. As the website states, these folks specialize in “Picking our own wild mushrooms, serving the best quality cultivated mushrooms, sourcing wild mushrooms from the Pacific Northwest, and carrying European truffles.”

We asked Owner Tyler Akabane: why mushrooms? “I love them. It is such an undernoted and under-appreciated kingdom of life out there, especially in the US.” Kingdom of life? This is when things started getting interesting. “Wild foraging is a big part of my history and the joy of them. Picking wild mushrooms. I teach classes. We go out to the woods. I teach people how to safely do it and teach people the dangerous stuff.”

The store opened on Winter Hill in 2022. “Somerville had the right vibe…good food scene. We were doing delivery services (then known as Mushrooms for my Friends). Somerville was always our busiest spot.” The 433 Medford Street location offered something attractive too, a corner walk-in and historic ceiling trim. “Most spots do not have that much character.” The interior, for example, has tin molding that is “100 years old or something.” The store employs 5 people at this time.

In terms of an adjective, Tyler constantly described mushrooms as meaty. “For me, if I do not have meat on the plate, mushrooms fill the gap or savory quality.” Then, things got a bit evolutionary. “Hundreds of millions of years ago, plants, animals and fungi were in the same kingdom. Plants split off and years later, mushrooms and animals separated. In terms of DNA, animals and mushrooms are pretty closely related, sharing 50-60% of their DNA.”

For the vegetarian leaning folks out there, he continued to lean into how mushrooms are better than plant-based meats. “There is something about faux meat products that are not real. They are sympathized. Mushrooms are what they are. They have different flavors and different textures. Lots of variety.”

These varieties include 15 different species carried at THE mushroom shop. Think white chanterelles, lobster mushrooms, Hen-of-the-wood (which some say looks like a roosting bird), chicken of the woods (a great substitute for chicken, lobster, or crab), and matsutake (a.k.a. pine mushroom). Tyler educated me that only a half dozen restaurants or so in the area are using matsutake, a coveted Japanese mushroom known for its spicy, distinct flavor.

The storefront is not the only spot to sample these cultivated and curated mushrooms. june bug, a wood fired restaurant in Union Square, has a “Pizza Pal” on some Thursdays that makes a main course and appetizer. THE mushroom shop’s collaboration in previous weeks included a classic rustic sourdough toasted with lots of mushrooms and a matsutake pumpkin pizza.

They have two more dinners coming up, including a first Wednesday and Thursday event at Field & Vine on 11/6 and 11/7, dubbed “The Annual Mushroom Dinner,” featuring four mushroom-inspired plates.

How do folks start their mushroom journey? “We suggest using something familiar. Maybe a recipe you’ve done but change the mushroom to something exotic.” Sauteing and putting them on heat is always good. As for him, where might the next mushroom journey take him? “I really want to go to Yunnan, China. It is a big mountainous region with a wide variety of mushrooms. I would like to go with other mushroom or tea enthusiasts, not the kids.”

Visit www.the-mushroom-shop-somerville.com. Free street parking and poles for bikes are nearby.