Remember when “mushrooms” meant one thing: white vegetables with caps and stems — usually in a can? Today there’s a whole world of mushrooms available in the produce department, from portobellos to shiitakes. Mushrooms vary in flavor and texture and are among the most versatile of vegetables — perfect for stir-frying, sautéing, serving raw in salads or as dippers, or substituting for meat in hearty sandwiches.

Mushrooms deliver a lot of flavor for just a few calories. They contain no cholesterol and almost no fat, but they’re loaded with B vitamins and minerals like selenium, potassium and copper. Best of all, studies suggest that the nutrients in some mushrooms may help prevent heart disease and some forms of cancer, and may even help your immune system.

Choose fresh, firm, well-shaped mushrooms that are free of spots. Place unwashed mushrooms in the refrigerator in their original packaging or in a paper bag (don’t use plastic). It’s best to use mushrooms within a few days of purchase, but most varieties will keep for about a week.

To clean mushrooms, wipe them with a damp cloth, paper towel or soft brush; or quickly rinse them in cold water and pat dry.

If you haven’t ventured beyond tried-and-true white mushrooms, it’s time to go a little wild and sample other varieties of these earthy gems. Here’s a brief introduction to other popular mushrooms:

Cultivated White — These are the ones most of us are familiar with. They’re called button mushrooms when small, but they can grow to a jumbo size suitable for stuffing. You can serve them raw on a vegetable platter or in salads, but cooking intensifies their mild, woodsy flavor. Add them to sauces or casseroles, or sauté them with garlic in olive oil or butter.

Cremini / Baby Portobello — Brown in color and similar in shape to white mushrooms, but creminis have a heartier, earthier flavor that complements meat and game. Use them in recipes where you’d typically use white mushrooms.

Porcini — Dried porcinis are easier to find than fresh, but either type adds rich character to soup, stuffing, pasta sauce and risotto. Porcinis have a smooth, meaty texture and woodsy flavor. They can measure up to 10 inches in diameter and are perfect for stuffing with shallots, herbs, onion and garlic.

Portobello — These chewy, meaty mushrooms are actually fully mature creminis. They can grow as large as six inches in diameter, making them a delicious substitute for meat in sandwiches. Or try baking whole portobellos stuffed with sautéed broccoli, onion and garlic; or cutting them into thick slices for salads.

Shiitake — Also called Chinese black or forest mushrooms, these umbrella-shaped veggies add a woodsy, beefy flavor to stir-fries, soups and roasted vegetables.

There’s a whole world of mushrooms to explore in the Wal-Mart produce department! Discover the diverse of flavors and textures mushrooms offer by experimenting with different varieties in your next salad, stew, soup or casserole.