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Narsai David Review: The Book of Fungi

(KCBS) - KCBS Food and Wine Editor Narsai David reviews a new book by Peter Roberts and Shelley Evans called "The Book of Fungi: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species From Around the World."

Around 1.5 million tons of cultivated mushrooms are produced worldwide each year and this could be traced back to 17th century France. Today, in France they're known as champignon de Paris - this basic Agaricus mushroom only accounts for 40% of the mushrooms cultivated around the world. The oyster, shiitake, wood ear and small exotics make up the rest of it.

This is a beautiful new book with life-size, full color pictures and location maps for all the mushrooms. Don't harvest mushrooms unless you know what you're doing. This book will really help you.

# Publisher: University Of Chicago Press
# Published: April 2011
# ISBN-10: 0226721175
# ISBN-13: 9780226721170
# Format: Oversize Hardcover

Narsai David is the KCBS Food and Wine Editor. He has been a successful restaurateur, chef, TV host, and columnist in the Bay Area spanning four decades.

(Copyright 2011 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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