Category: MycoAcademy
MycoAcademy is a hub full of articles and videos from the community to learn about mushrooms, more specifically about mushroom in Prague.
We will try to answer here : How does a gourmet mushroom grow to be cooked in our local Prague Restaurants?
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Petri Dishes and Mycelium: The First Steps in Mushroom Life
Every mushroom begins its life long before it appears in the fruiting room. The journey starts in the laboratory, inside a Petri dish, where mycelium begins to grow on agar. This early stage is critical for producing healthy oyster mushrooms, shiitake, and Lion’s mane with consistent quality and yield. For professional mushroom farms, agar work…
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Common Contaminants in Mushroom Substrates (and How to Prevent Them)
Introduction Contamination is one of the biggest challenges in mushroom cultivation. Even experienced growers can lose entire batches if unwanted fungi or bacteria take over the substrate before the mushroom mycelium does. Whether you’re growing oyster mushrooms on straw, shiitake on hardwood blocks, or Lion’s Mane in sterilized bags, understanding the most common contaminants —…
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How to Clean Mushrooms Without Losing Flavor
Why Proper Mushroom Cleaning Matters Mushrooms are prized for their deep umami flavor and delicate texture, but cleaning them incorrectly can quickly ruin both. Many home cooks worry that washing mushrooms will make them soggy or bland — and they’re not wrong if it’s done improperly. The good news? With the right techniques, you can…
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The Genetics Behind Mushroom Growth Patterns
The Secret Blueprint of Mushroom Growth Mushrooms may seem simple on the surface, but behind every fruiting body lies a complex genetic code guiding development, shape, color, and speed of growth. Understanding mushroom genetics helps farmers—like us in Prague—optimize growing conditions for better yields of oyster, shiitake, and lion’s mane mushrooms. How Fungal DNA Shapes…
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How Mushroom Spawn Is Created in the Lab
Mushroom spawn is the foundation of every successful mushroom crop. Whether you’re growing oyster mushrooms, shiitake, or Lion’s mane, the quality of your spawn determines colonization speed, yield potential, and resistance to contamination. In a professional mushroom farm, spawn is produced inside a sterile laboratory environment to guarantee clean, vigorous mycelium. Step 1 — Starting…
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The Role of Humidity in Mushroom Fruiting
Humidity is one of the most important environmental factors in mushroom cultivation. Whether you’re growing oyster mushrooms, shiitake, or Lion’s mane, the fruiting room must maintain the correct moisture level to encourage pinning, prevent drying, and ensure beautiful, high-quality mushrooms. In fact, humidity can make the difference between a dense, perfect cluster and a dried-out,…
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A Culinary Tour: Mushrooms in Global Cuisines
Mushrooms: A Global Culinary Treasure From Tokyo to Prague, mushrooms have shaped culinary traditions for centuries. Their versatility, umami depth, and nutritional benefits make them one of the most celebrated ingredients across continents. Whether it’s a delicate lion’s mane steak or earthy shiitake broth, mushrooms offer flavors that elevate dishes in every culture. Asia: The…
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Sterilized vs. Pasteurized Substrates: Which One Should You Use?
Introduction In mushroom cultivation, the way you prepare your substrate can dramatically impact your success. Whether you’re growing gourmet oyster mushrooms, shiitake, or Lion’s Mane, the choice between sterilization and pasteurization is a core decision that affects colonization speed, contamination risk, and final yield. Let’s break down what each method does — and help you…
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Why Some Mushrooms Fruit Earlier Than Others
What Does “Fruit Earlier” Mean? When we talk about mushroom fruiting, “earlier” refers to how quickly a species or strain goes from mycelial growth to producing primordia (baby mushrooms) — and ultimately, harvestable mushrooms. Key Factors That Influence Fruiting Time Genetics & Strain Different strains (even within the same species) have varying growth rates and…
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Cloning Mushrooms in the Lab: Giving a Second Life to Gourmet Mushrooms
Why Clone Mushrooms? In a professional mushroom farm, cloning provides a powerful way to preserve and propagate the desired genetics of a particularly good mushroom — whether it’s flavor, size, yield, or disease resistance. By cloning, we create a genetically identical copy (“clone”) of a mushroom, ensuring that upcoming batches maintain the same high-quality traits.…