…maybe some mushrooms?

VARIETY IS KEY

Game, Fish, Mushrooms – let’s take a closer look!

Mushrooms aren’t among the most popular ingredients either — which is why we’re giving them a little marketing boost. They are, after all, rightly called a “future-proof” food.

Want to learn more?

Why is a diverse diet so important for our health?

We increasingly hear how crucial it is to maintain the diversity and balance of our gut microbiome — the community of microbes living in symbiosis with us in our digestive tract — to support our overall health and immune function. To keep this tiny internal “army” well-fed, one of the most important steps is to provide them with a wide variety of nutrients — mainly the fibres found in vegetables, fruit, whole grains and legumes.

Different beneficial bacteria thrive on different kinds of fibre, so the more diverse the ingredients we consume, the better our gut microbes function. That’s why it’s worth choosing a varied selection of dishes even in workplace dining, paying special attention to plant-based ingredients.

Let’s try new flavours, ingredients and dishes every week!

Healthier you leads to a healthier planet

We now know that improving the state of our natural environment requires the large-scale adoption of nature-friendly, regenerative agricultural practices — along with growing a wider variety of crops.

This may sound surprising at first, but we, consumers can actively contribute: because there are many of us, even small daily choices add up. We support this transition by creating demand for crops that are currently grown less widely — simply by choosing meals made with more diverse ingredients.

That’s why this month we’re bringing you some of the traditional but less frequently eaten ingredients of Hungarian cuisine. Look for dishes that feature game, mushrooms and fish in our November selection!

FREE IN NATURE

If you are a meat lover, eat game. Why?

First and foremost, because these animals are not raised intensively — they live freely, feeding on a natural, essentially organic diet. Compared with intensive livestock farming, game management guarantees far higher animal welfare and is much more environmentally friendly. Another important argument in favour of consuming game is that its “production” does not burden the environment or the food chain with antibiotic residues.

From a nutritional perspective, game meat often contains fewer calories and has a more favourable protein, fat and micronutrient profile than meat from farmed animals. It is rich in nutrients, contains less cholesterol, has a beneficial ratio of unsaturated to saturated fatty acids, and is high in essential minerals.

UNIQUE AND VERSATILE

Why is mushroom a smart choice?

Mushrooms offer a rich nutrient profile: they are low in calories, fat and carbohydrates, yet high in protein, fibre, B-vitamins and important minerals such as potassium, selenium, zinc, iron and copper. They are also a good source of antioxidants and chitin, a valuable dietary fibre.

Fresh and dried mushrooms both deliver the fifth basic taste — umami — thanks to compounds like natural glutamates and inosinates. Some of these compounds become even more concentrated during drying, making dried mushrooms especially flavourful.

Give our mushroom-based recipe a try — you won’t be disappointed!

From fairy tales to the pantry

As children, we first encountered mushrooms in fairy tales — tiny forest creatures hiding under their caps from the rain.

As adults, we learn that mushrooms are incredibly diverse: after rain they pop up by the thousands in the forest, yet most people — out of understandable caution — eat only the two or three cultivated varieties found in shops. But there is much more to know about mushrooms. Beyond their usefulness in nature and their culinary value, they are increasingly considered a food of the future.

10+1 fascinating facts about mushrooms

1. Mushrooms belong to their own biological kingdom — they are neither plants nor animals.

2. They exist worldwide in every environment and play a crucial role in ecosystems, breaking down organic matter and supporting nutrient cycles.

3. Edible macrofungi consist of hyphae (fungal filaments) forming a mycelium that lives hidden in the substrate. The “mushroom” we see is only the fruiting body, appearing temporarily when conditions are right.

4. Besides wild foraging, many mushrooms are cultivated and bred. In Hungary, the most commonly consumed varieties are button mushrooms and oyster mushrooms, with shiitake and other Asian species growing in popularity.

5. Mushrooms are nutrient-dense, low in calories, and rich in fibre, B-vitamins, potassium, selenium, zinc and other minerals, as well as antioxidants and chitin.

6. Fresh mushrooms contain about 90% water — meaning 100 g of fresh mushroom typically offers only around 3 g of protein, similar to broccoli’s protein content.

7. They contain 1–4 g of dietary fibre, mostly insoluble, but also soluble fibres such as beta-glucans, known for potential immune-supporting and anti-tumour effects. Chanterelles are among the highest-fibre mushrooms, while shiitake is one of the richest in beta-glucans.

8. For millennia, mushrooms have been used in fermentation and food preservation..

9. Due to their bioactive compounds, they play a major role in both traditional and modern medicine..

10. Genetically modified yeast — a type of fungus — is widely used in biotechnology to produce insulin, citric acid and cheese-making enzymes.

11. In the future of food, precision-fermented, mycelium-based proteins may become key sustainable alternatives, offering high-quality, animal-free protein with minimal resource use.

Genetically modified yeast — a type of fungus — is widely used in biotechnology to produce insulin, citric acid and chee In the future of food, precision-fermented, mycelium-based proteins may become key sustainable alternatives, offering high-quality, animal-free protein with minimal resource use.se-making enzymes. In the future of food, precision-fermented, mycelium-based proteins may become key sustainable alternatives, offering high-quality, animal-free protein with minimal resource use. In the future of food, precision-fermented, mycelium-based proteins may become key sustainable alternatives, offering high-quality, animal-free protein with minimal resource use.

We Only Eat It Occasionally

Like a long-distance relative…

In Hungary, fish is like a funny uncle who lives far away and you only meet at big family gatherings. But when you do, you know it’s going to be good, and you should meet more often.

Despite the well-known health benefits of eating fish, it still appears only rarely on Hungarian plates: on average we eat about 7 kg of fish per person per year – roughly one-fifth of the European average.

Yet there are many strong health arguments for eating fish regularly, just as recommended by the Hungarian Dietetic Association’s nutritional guidelines, Okostányér®.

Let’s take a look at them:

• Fish is rich in protein and is considered a high-quality, easily digestible, complete protein source.
• Fish contains a wide variety of valuable nutrients: it is high in omega-3 fatty acids, as well as vitamin D and vitamin B12. It also provides several essential minerals such as iron, zinc, selenium, iodine, fluoride, magnesium and calcium.
• Most fish are low in fat, yet rich in healthy unsaturated fats. Eating fish regularly may therefore reduce the risk of heart disease, support brain function, and contribute to better vision as we age.
• Thanks to its lower saturated fat content, fish can be a healthier alternative to fatty meats from other animals — another good reason to choose fish dishes once or twice a week, even at the workplace restaurant!

What about pollution? Honestly About Fish.

It’s important to know that, like every food, fish consumption also carries certain risks. Most of these stem from environmental pollution over recent decades and are unfortunately difficult to eliminate.

Foreign substances accumulating in the oceans — such as heavy metals (e.g., mercury) and microplastics — can enter the bodies of marine animals. To balance the health benefits and potential risks, it is advisable to eat no more than one or two servings of marine fish per week. This is especially important for children and pregnant women.

At the same time, precisely because of environmental concerns, small fish — such as sardines — have become the “rising stars” of recent years. They offer the same or even greater health benefits than their larger, more fashionable counterparts (like salmon or tuna), but with significantly lower heavy-metal contamination. The explanation is simple: as small fish occupy a lower level of the food chain, fewer toxins accumulate in their bodies than in larger predatory fish.

Sardines are also much cheaper, and as an added bonus, their soft, edible bones provide a highly absorbable source of calcium — often higher than in many other fish.

Fish can be used to create an incredibly wide range of dishes, and it’s worth trying as many as possible in Delirest restaurants as well!