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"Portabella Mushrooms"  Portabella mushrooms are the largest of the commercially available mushrooms and have a rich, robust mushroom taste and a texture that has been compared to fine beef filet mignon.

They are actually mature Criminis and have a meatier flavor, the result of a somewhat longer growing period. The stems are firmer in texture but can be trimmed and cooked along with the caps. Freshly harvested portabella caps are light tan, rounded and slightly rough-textured, with somewhat uneven edges and visible gills on the underside.

Portabellas are 3-7 days older than Crimini mushrooms when harvested. The name portabella was popularized in the 1980s to sell a then unglamorous mushroom. Because it is harvested later, the portabella can easily reach 5 inches in diameter, and is packed with concentrated flavor. In the matter of portabella versus portobello, both spellings are used.