Nameko Mushrooms, Dried

The smell is that of dark soy sauce and reduced Chinese black vinegar: dark and pungent. It’s a scent that might make you eager to take deep breaths of it or toss the whole bag out the window. However, once reconstituted in water the smell dissipates and all that’s left is the innocent mushroom. Bite into one and enjoy the soft surface, meaty texture and toothsome crunch. The flavor is not at all like the smell. Think a weak black tea, bitter and sweet.

The dried cloud ear is mellower than the wood ear mushroom (black fungus) and has a black and grey appearance as opposed to the wood ear’s black and tan. Dried black fungus mushroom is useful in many classic Chinese and Japanese soups and stir-fries. To mix it up, reconstitute it in water and mince it, add the mushroom and the broth to a Thanksgiving cornbread and sausage stuffing to give it a bit more textural intrigue and Asian flavor.

An edible mushroom that originated in Western Europe and then spread out through Eastern Europe and South America. They grow under the dark and damp shade of conifer and hardwood forests where they bulk up their fat bottoms and spongy caps (which are porous instead of having gills like most mushrooms). The bolete grows chubby and large; so much so it is often considered the King of the Mushrooms. In fact, some boletes can grow to be 18 inches tall and more than a foot in diameter. The taste of an edible bolete mushroom is hit or miss. Dried, the bolete reeks of dark soy sauce and Chinese black vinegar. When reconstituted the flavor is far more mellow with a slight fermented hint. This European mushroom is popular served with a runny egg, tucked into pasta dishes, and stirred into risotto. A more modern twist is to grind them into powder in a food processor, mix it with salt and black pepper, and use the mixture as a rub for beef.

Mushroom hunters search high and low for true Morels, and a lucky few have secret spots where they know a bounty will grow every year. Try asking any hunter where their spot is and you’ll be greeted with silence. No mushroom hunter will ever give up dried morel mushrooms. It’s understandable. Dried morel mushrooms have a delicate flavor that only lingers around for a short while. It’s gone the moment you swallow. Chewing is another matter. The flavor is mighty when chewing. It’s a mushroom that’s truly worth the hunt. However, some home gardeners get lucky. It’s not unheard of to buy woodchips for a garden and then after a rain find little armies of Morels springing up. These dried morel mushrooms are great for our sautéed morel mushroom recipe. You can add a bit of salt and cracked pepper for a classic preparation or toss with pasta and serve in a cream sauce with generous shavings of Parmesan.

This bitter-tasting mushroom is rumored to have numerous healing properties. It’s long been thought to fight viral infections, reduce stress, and induce sleep. One recent study even showed even demonstrated that it was able to help reverse chemical-driven liver damage. This dried reishi mushroom has a bitter taste and for this reason, is often brewed with other mushrooms so as to cover it up. Other recipes insist on adding lemon, honey, ginger, or even a small bit of bacon fat to help make it more palatable. Another, more palatable option? Simply blitz the Lingzhi mushroom into a powder and add it to smoothies as a superfood supplement.