Mushroom

Markets stock a variety of cultivated mushrooms, but many people prefer wild mushrooms, which are often more flavorful. To prepare fresh mushrooms, first trim off the bottoms of the stems, then wipe them off.  Don't rinse them or soak them, for they'll absorb water and turn mushy when you cook them.  Dried mushrooms are often excellent substitutes for fresh, though some species don't dry well.  You can reconstitute dried mushrooms by soaking or simmering them.  Don't throw out the soaking liquid--it can add more flavor to your sauce than the mushrooms themselves.   You can also pulverize dried mushrooms with a food processor or blender, then use the mushroom powder to flavor sauces and stews.

Enoki mushrooms = Enokitaki = Eno Itake (Japanese) = golden needle mushroom (Chinese)= snow puff mushroom = velvet foot mushroom = velvet stem mushroom = winter mushroom = Jinzhen Gu (Mandarin) = Gum Jum Gwo (Cantonese)

These are slender and exceedingly delicate mushrooms with long thin stems and tiny white caps. Fresh enoki mushrooms are popular in both China and Japan. They are usually served raw. Avoid canned ones.

Enoki mushrooms have a delicate sweet and almost fruity flavor, and a deliciously crisp texture. The delicate flavor of enoki mushrooms is best appreciated if they are added raw to salads or lightly cooked and used as a garnish for soups or hot dishes.

Oyster mushroom = tree oyster mushroom = pleurotus mushroom = abalone mushroom = Baoyu Gu (Mandarin) = Howyoo Gwo (Cantonese) = Shimeji (Japanese)

In the wild, oyster mushrooms grow in clumps on rotting wood. The caps, gills and stems are all the same color, which can be pearl grey, pink or yellow. Once thought of exclusively as wild mushrooms, they are now grown commercially and are widely available and fairly inexpensive.

Oyster mushrooms are prized for their smooth texture and subtle, with a slight oyster-like flavor. Oyster mushrooms are popular in soups and stir-fries, and they are also used in noodles and rice dishes.

Shiitake mushroom = shitake mushroom (Japanese) = black forest mushroom = black winter mushroom = brown oak mushroom = Chinese black mushroom = Oriental black mushroom = golden oak mushroom = donko = Xiang Gu (Mandarin) = Hung Gwo (Cantonese)

Though shiitake mushrooms are now cultivated, they have the earthiness and flavor of wild mushrooms. They resemble large, brown button mushrooms in appearance, but are actually a type of fungus that grows on hardwood logs in their native Japan. Shiitake mushrooms are frequently dried and are also available in cans.

These large and meaty mushrooms taste slightly acidic, and have a decidedly slippery texture. They contain twice as much protein as button mushrooms. When shiitake are dried the flavor intensifies. They work well in stir-fries, braised dishes, soups, and side dishes, or as a meat substitute. They are a popular ingredient in vegetarian dishes, and go well with noodles and rice. They are good combined with less strongly flavored food.

Straw mushrooms = paddy straw mushrooms = CaoGu (Mandarin) = Tso Gwo (Cantonese)

These small, grey-brown mushrooms are grown on beds of rice straw, hence the name. A native of China, they were introduced to South-east Asia by Chinese immigrants.

They're hard to find fresh, but dried ones can sometimes be found in Asian or Chinese stores. Straw mushrooms have an even stronger aroma than Chinese dried black mushrooms. Canned straw mushrooms are widely available in Asian stores; they have a delicate, silky surface with a subtle, sweet taste and an unusual slippery texture.

Because they have an almost neutral flavor, straw mushrooms can be combined with all sorts of ingredients in stir-fries, braised dishes and soups. They are an essential ingredient in many Chinese dishes, and they are also used for making mushroom soy sauce.

Dried Black Mushrooms  = Fragrant mushrooms

Dried black mushrooms are widely used throughout  Asia, and are exported around the world. The majority of dried black mushrooms sold in Asian stores actually come from Japan, which produces and exports far more dried black mushrooms than does China.

There are generally three different grades of dried black mushrooms, with caps that range in color from dark grey to brown-black or tan. The cheapest of these has quite thin caps may be sold with or without stalks, and may well be labeled " fragrant mushrooms", which is the generic term for shiitake mushrooms. Nest come the "winter mushrooms" which have thicker caps and taste more fleshy. The most expensive type are called " flower mushrooms". These are the best of the winter mushrooms. The caps are so thick that they crack, revealing the flower pattern that earned them their name. All three have a dusky aroma with a fragrant flavor, which is much intensified by the drying process.

These mushrooms are wonderfully versatile as they can be stir-fried, braised, steamed and used in soups. They form an important part of the vegetarians' diet, and are an ideal partner for bamboo shoots as they offer a harmonious contrast in color, aroma, flavor and texture. For non-vegetarians they can be cooked with seafood, poultry and meat, and of course, other vegetables.

wood ear mushroom = black fungus =  cloud ears mushroom = tree ear mushroom = Mu'er (Mandarin) = Wan Yee (Cantonese) = Moc Nhi (Vietnamese)

These are widely used in China, Thailand and Vietnam. The dried fungi are thin and brittle, and look like pieces of charred paper.

There is a slightly smoky smell when wood ears are first removed from the packet, but this disappears once they have been soaked. They are almost tasteless, but have an intriguing Texture, which is slippery yet crisp and are believed to have medicinal benefits.

Wood ears are used in Stir-frying braising and soup; the fungus is traditionally paired with dried tiger lily in several Chinese dishes, including the popular hot-and-sour soup.

Silver Ears = dried white fungus = Yiner (Mandarin) = Pak Mook Yee ( Cantonese)

This earned its Chinese name of "silver ear" partly because of its rarity, and partly because of the high price it fetches on account of its medicinal value. It is regarded as being an excellent tonic, and is also used for the relief of insomnia and lung and liver diseases.

Silver ears do not belong to the same genus as wood ears. Although the texture is similar, white fungus has a sweeter flavor.

While wood ears are regarded as everyday ingredients, silver ears are reserved for special occasions. Besides being cooked with other vegetables in vegetarian dishes, silver ears are often cooked and then served on their own, as one of the many dishes that comprise a banquet.