Ascomycetes

Ascomycetes is the traditional name for an enormous group of sac fungi, roughly two thousand genera strong, still commonly used for members of the subdivision Ascomycotina. Mostly terrestrial saprotrophs or parasites, the group includes most yeasts that drive bread, beer, and wine fermentation, the prized edible morels (Morchella) and truffles (Tuber), cup fungi, and the powdery, black, and sooty mildews that attack crops. Food science meets ascomycetes everywhere: beneficial species enable fermentation and flavour development, while others cause spoilage or produce mycotoxins such as aflatoxins and ochratoxin in stored commodities. Distinguishing friend from foe within this vast group is a core skill of food mycology.