If you've been paying attention to the wellness world, the culinary scene, or even just scrolling through TikTok lately, you've probably noticed: mushrooms are everywhere.

And I'm not just talking about the white buttons your mom threw into spaghetti sauce.

We're in the middle of a full-blown mushroom renaissance. Functional mushroom lattes at trendy coffee shops. Lion's mane supplements promise better focus. Chefs are competing to source the most exotic varieties. Reddit communities with thousands of people growing oyster mushrooms in their closets. Documentaries are making fungi look like the answer to everything from anxiety to climate change.

So what's going on? And should you care?

Here's what's actually happening:

The wellness and medical industries discovered what people across the world have known for centuries. Mushrooms like reishi, chaga, and lion's mane aren't just food. They're functional. Research is validating what Eastern medicine has used for thousands of years. The market for medicinal mushrooms is expected to hit $50 billion globally by 2028. That's not hype. That's a fundamental shift in how we think about food as medicine.

Chefs finally figured out how to cook them properly. For too long, mushrooms were relegated to the "vegetable" category and treated like an afterthought. But when cooked right (seared hard, roasted until crispy, grilled over open flame) mushrooms can deliver umami depth that rivals meat. They're not trying to replace a burger. They're their own category of delicious.

Growing them got shockingly accessible. You used to need a background in mycology and a temperature-controlled lab to cultivate mushrooms. Now? Companies like North Spore and Back to the Roots sell plug-and-play kits that fruit oyster mushrooms in your kitchen within two weeks. The barrier to entry collapsed, and suddenly everyone's a mushroom farmer.

The psychedelic conversation opened the door. Whether or not you're interested in psilocybin, the renewed research into psychedelic mushrooms has created massive mainstream curiosity about fungi in general. When Johns Hopkins launches a Center for Psychedelic Research, people start Googling "mushrooms" and fall down rabbit holes learning about all aspects of these miraculous organisms.

They're ridiculously photogenic. This matters more than you'd think. Mushrooms are inherently beautiful. Alien, sculptural, even vibrant. They photograph like nothing else in the produce aisle. In a visual-first internet culture, aesthetic appeal drives interest. And mushrooms deliver.

Okay, so mushrooms are trending. But here's why this moment matters beyond just being a wellness fad:

Mushrooms are absurdly nutritious and underutilized. Most people's mushroom exposure stops at white buttons or maybe portobellos. But varieties like shiitake, maitake, and oyster offer serious nutritional firepower: B vitamins, selenium, copper, potassium, and unique compounds like beta-glucans that support immune function. We're talking about one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet that many people ignore.

You can grow them in your apartment. No garden. No sunlight. No soil needed. Mushrooms can grow in the dark on agricultural waste. If you've ever wished you could grow your own food but don't have space for tomatoes, mushrooms are your answer. A 10-pound yield from a $30 kit in three weeks is entirely doable. That's not a fantasy. That's Tuesday.

They taste incredible when you know what you're doing. Most people have only eaten poorly cooked mushrooms, or god forbid, from a can. Boiled into submission, limp and watery. But a properly seared oyster mushroom? Crispy edges, meaty texture, deep umami richness. It's a completely different food. Learning to cook mushrooms well will legitimately upgrade your kitchen game. And if you've never tasted a Morel mushroom, you don't know what you're missing!

Foraging them connects you to place. There's something primal about walking through the woods and coming home with dinner. Mushroom foraging teaches you to pay attention. To seasons, to trees, to weather patterns, to ecosystems. It's meditative. It's sustainable. And when you find a flush of chanterelles or chicken of the woods, it feels like discovering treasure.

The science is genuinely fascinating. Fungi aren't plants. They're not animals. They're their own kingdom of life, and they're weird. They communicate through underground networks. They can break down plastic. They're older than trees. Once you start learning about them, it's hard to stop. Mushrooms are a gateway drug to biology, ecology, and mycology.

That's precisely why this newsletter exists.

I'm not here to sell you $80 adaptogen powders or convince you that mushrooms will solve all your problems. I'm here because I believe mushrooms are one of the most fascinating, accessible, and underappreciated aspects of food, health, and nature. And most people don't know where to begin.

Every week, I'll break down topics from the mushroom world:

Some weeks will be practical tutorials. Some will be deep dives into mushroom biology. Some will just be me showing you a cool mushroom I found and explaining why it matters.

The goal: Make mushrooms less intimidating and more delicious.

Whether you want to grow oyster mushrooms on your kitchen counter, learn to identify chanterelles on a hike, or just cook a better mushroom risotto, you're in the right place.

Welcome to Wandering Spore

— Jeremy

Let's explore together.

What questions do you have about mushrooms? Hit reply and let me know what you'd like to learn first.