ANSWER

Mushroom powder/essence can be used as an umami booster and flavor enhancer in a wide range of applications including soups, sauces, booths, stocks and gravies. Mushrooms have a rich, umami flavor profile which naturally enhances and deepens the flavor of the food that it is added to (Mushroom Council, 2014). They are occasionally grounded into powder as a flavorful and functional food additive (Ming et al., 2015).

References

Ming, J., Chen, L., Hong, H. and Li, J. (2015). Effect of superfine grinding on the physico-chemical, morphological and thermogravimetric properties of Lentinus edodes mushroom powders. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 95(12), 2431–2437. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.6967

Mushroom Council. (2014). News about mushrooms: How the blend won me over. Redwood Shores, California: Author.