Date: Fri, 26 Jun 1998 10:52:52 -0700
From: "A. Vine"
Subject: Re: portobello

Jim Rader wrote:
>
>
> I had meaning to do a Nexis search on _incent_, but Fred Shapiro has
> done it for me. My Nexis searching lately has been devoted to
> _Portobello (mushroom)_. If anybody on the list has a pet theory
> explaining this name, let me know. I have only one rather tentative
> hypothesis at present.
>

No theory, just observations. The name appears as "portobello", "portabella",
"portobella", and "portabello". My understanding is that the mushroom itself
is
just an overgrown darker strain of white button mushrooms.

As for origins of the name variations, check out:

http://www.sunspot.net/columnists/data/kasper/0114kasper.html

Andrea