Weird & Wonderful Wednesdays

The fall season brings cooler weather, beautiful changing leaves and lots and lots of mushrooms! Japan has many varieties of mushrooms in every shape, size and color and when fall arrives, the supermarkets have shelves of the well loved fungi. Mushrooms are very popular during all seasons in all types of Japanese cooking.

I’m not the biggest fan of most fungi since the textures, which range from dry, moist, slimy, slippery, and sticky totally weird me out. This website (you should check it out, it has cool pics and diagrams) all about Japanese mushrooms claims there are about 16 different colors and countless shapes.

And here is a recent article from the Japan Times, the english newspaper I read occasionally with some interesting history about mushrooms.

Enokidake

Winter Mushroom

Enoki dake is one of the most widely-consumed mushrooms in Japan. It is easily recognizable, composed of bunches of small mushrooms on very thin stalks. As the wild variety of enoki dake resists cold well, and can thrive even in snowy conditions, it is also known as yuki-no-shita (“under the snow”) or winter mushrooms. Its light, subtle savoury flavour makes it a highly-adaptable ingredient that can be used in many dishes, but it is most commonly found in miso soup, nabe hotpots and sukiyaki.

Maitake

Hen of the Woods Mushroom

Maitake mushrooms have a distinctive aroma and a thick, woody flavour. They are quite meaty in texture and are highly-valued as being among the mushrooms most beneficial to the health. Rich in vitamins including B1, B2, and D, as well as minerals such as potassium, calcium, and magnesium, maitake has been shown to effectively boost the strength of the immune system. Maitake can be sautéed in butter, added to soups or used to enrich any recipe that calls for mushrooms taste richer.

Matsutake

Matsutake Mushroom

A mushroom long-prized as an autumn luxury food, matsutake has a wonderfully rich aroma and subtle taste. It grows most commonly under Japanese red pine trees that are more than 25 years old. It is therefore difficult to gather matsutake, this rarity adding to the price. Matsutake can be enjoyed in soup, cooked with rice, grilled or stuffed. Not only delicious, matsutake is low in fat, high in protein and rich in vitamins B1, B2, and D.

Nameko

Nameko Mushroom

Small and amber-coloured, the nameko mushroom grows in clusters and its cap has a slippery covering of natural gelatin. It has an earthy, woody flavour, a pleasant silky texture and is rich in vitamins. Nameko is usually cut into small pieces and added to other ingredients. Dishes using nameko include miso soup, in which it is a standard ingredient, nameko oroshi (a combination of grated daikon radish and ponzu vinegar or soy sauce) and nameko soba (hot or cold buckwheat noodle soup topped with the mushroom).

Shiitake / Hoshi Shiitake

Shiitake / Dried Shiitake Mushroom

Japan’s most well-known mushroom is the delicious shiitake. This flavoursome, slightly chewy mushroom is believed to have many properties beneficial to the health and contains significant quantities of vitamins B and D. Shiitake is popular fresh and in its dried form, known in Japanese as hoshi shiitake, which must be rehydrated before eating. Some consider this to be richer in flavour than fresh shiitake. The mushroom can be used in clear soup and nimono (simmered dishes), and dried shiitake is used as a base for making vegetarian dashi.

Shimeji

Shimeji Mushroom

The shimeji is known as one of the most gourmet of all mushrooms, and has delicate straw coloured caps around 1 cm in diameter. Bitter and unpleasant to eat when raw, when cooked they have a mild, sweet and slightly nutty flavour and a light texture. The mushroom grows in clusters, though the base should be removed and discarded. Shimeji can be used in a broad range of recipes, such as stews, soups, stir-fries and sauces or sautéed and served whole.

~ pictures & descriptions from eat-Japan.com