Interesting Mushrooms Popular In The World

Despite the fact that the territory of our country is quite rich in various types of mushrooms , they began to be eaten later than in many other countries . Mycologists and specialists in mushroom cooking associate this with the active spread of Christianity and the emergence of a need for hearty lean food.

Until the 18th century, 3 types of mushrooms were mainly collected on the territory of the country : white (they were more often prepared for supplies), as well as milky mushrooms and champignons. As cities grew, porcini mushrooms gradually disappeared from the usual places of collection, acquiring the status of more rare and, accordingly, valuable. That is why porcini mushrooms are dried and salted in large volumes less and less now. By the way, porcini mushrooms were called porcini mushrooms because all other mushrooms turned black when dried. Gradually, other mushrooms began to be collected : buttercups, chanterelles, porcini mushrooms, porcini mushrooms, woolly mushrooms, etc.

Today, let's remember mushrooms that are less popular in our latitudes , which, however, are common in other countries , and recently they are increasingly found in our restaurants and supermarkets.

Truffles

Many consider the truffle to be a seasonal product, as summer, autumn and winter truffles are found in nature. However, today many of the mushrooms are cultivated. Truffles are grown mainly in Hungary, Romania, Latin America and Australia - hence the relatively high cost of dishes with the addition of truffles. In addition, the shelf life of fresh mushrooms is very short. Truffle is most often added as a seasoning or to give a dish a special shade of taste. The truffle really has something that is not characteristic of other mushroomsaroma - for this it was once considered a powerful aphrodisiac. There is even a legend according to which King Henry IV of France ordered almost carriages of truffles to feed his mistresses. Today, it is customary to combine truffles mainly with simple products - combinations with pasta, bread, eggs and potatoes are especially popular.

Enoki

The so-called winter mushrooms, or in the Japanese original - enokitake ("take" - mushroom ). These mushrooms are known as golden threads - because of their characteristic appearance: thin, long, yellowish-beige and with a small cap at the end.

These mushrooms have been used in cooking for over 300 years and, if sources are to be believed, were discovered as edible by the Japanese. It is interesting that the appearance of these mushrooms was probably partially used by the famous Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki to depict kodama spirits in the cartoon "Princess Mononoke" - kodama with exactly the same transparent white clusters (as in the real world enoki) were strewn with trees.

Enoki is eaten mainly in boiled form, in Asian cuisine they are often added to soups. You can buy them in almost any marketplace, in specialized Asian supermarkets and some retail chains. And also with these mushrooms you can find many unusual recipes.

Shiitake

Shiitake is another well-known Japanese mushroom . According to legend, Buddhist monks in Japan often built temples only where shiitake mushrooms grew . Most often, shiitake can be found in traditional Japanese miso soup. Also, the mushroom is widespread in China, South Korea and is cultivated in many other countries , including for use for medical purposes - as a biologically active food supplement. The taste of shiitake is something between a champignon and a porcini mushroom . Unfortunately, artificial cultivation of these mushrooms is not yet common in our country, but you can find them in many online stores and supermarkets - more often in dried form, but sometimes also in fresh form.

Matsutake

The matsutake mushroom is known in Korean, Japanese and Chinese cuisines , and its name is again Japanese, which means "pine mushroom ". In Asian cooking , matsutake is equated with truffles due to similar properties and is added to dishes as a delicacy. Some connoisseurs-gastroenthusiasts find in the aroma of these mushrooms something in common with some white Greek wines, in particular the Retsina variety.

Matsutake mushroom is rarely found in supermarkets, even online - the main reason for this is probably the small retail demand due to the high cost.

Nameko

Nameko, or Japanese mushrooms, are not yet found and cultivated in natural conditions in our country. However, they can be found in canned form - in cans - in many supermarkets, and not only in specialized Asian stores. Nameko is added to soups, including the famous Asian street food - ramen. But you can cook mushrooms even easier: fry them as a side dish, just like ordinary mushrooms.

Muer mushroom

Among the wood mushrooms , the Chinese muer wood mushroom is known the most. From the outside, it somehow resembles either an ear shell or corrugated paper, burned at the edges. Since muer likes a temperate climate, it grows mainly in China, Vietnam, Japan and Thailand. The mushroom is often used specifically in Chinese cooking and is prepared as an independent dish - a snack. You can find it in many marketplaces, and you can also buy it in supermarkets - in dried form. Muer absorbs water well, increasing in size, and in this soaked form it can even be stored in the refrigerator for some time - if it was not possible to use the whole mushroom at once.