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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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. |
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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.
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