Chinese mushrooms

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Desmond

Washing Up
Joined
Sep 22, 2013
Messages
53
Location
York
Hi
Sorry cant think of a forum for this. I have recipes calling for Chinese mushrooms. Supermarkets (uk) don't stoke these that I can see. Can any mushroom be substituted? what makes them so different? Do they have to be grown in china (JOKE) or can w grow them ourselves?

TIA

Desmond.
 
Not sure which single mushroom would be a Chinese mushroom. Lots of Asian recipes use shiitakes. You can use others but the flavor will be a bit different.
 
The ones I see used in Chinese restaurants most often are also called straw mushrooms. They somewhat resemble a retracted umbrella. I usually see them sold in cans in the Asian food aisle.

paddy-straw-mushrooms-10404162.jpg
 
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Here's a list with info:

Chinese Food Recipes - Types of Mushrooms Used in Chinese Cooking

Some British supermarkets in more enlightened areas do stock fresh ones but you might do better in an independent greengrocer. Try Sainsbury's or Morrisons (the latter often has a good range of international foods in areas with a multi-national population). Otherwise you can find dried ones in supermarkets, in delis, some health food shops. You might also find them in ethnic shops if you live near a large town with an Asian population.

If you want to have a go at growing your own have a look at this site

http://www.rusticmushrooms.co.uk/buy-mushroom-kits//category/14-ready-to-grow-mushroom-logs

And there is a list of books on the subject here: http://www.maesymush.co.uk/
 
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Hi Thanks for all this. I like the mushroom log. I suppose I need to tread with caution as some mushrooms are poisonous. I take it the log has user friendly mushrooms but I would need to know what to avoid. Any help on what to look for in this area or is it pot luck.

TIA

Desmond.
 
There really isn't such a thing as a Chinese mushroom. There are a variety of types of mushrooms common in Chinese cookery. Shiitakes, wood ear, oyster and straw are the ones I use most.

I can find the first three fresh but they also come dried and use canned straw.
 
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Hi Thanks for all this. I like the mushroom log. I suppose I need to tread with caution as some mushrooms are poisonous. I take it the log has user friendly mushrooms but I would need to know what to avoid. Any help on what to look for in this area or is it pot luck.

TIA

Desmond.
The best bet it to find someone who really knows. In some areas there are mushroom recognition classes with "field" studies. In France you can take your fungi finds to the chemist's shop for identification (is this still the case, Menumaker?) but that doesn't happen in the UK.

In fact, there are very few mushrooms /toadstools in the UK that can actually kill an otherwise healthy person outright but a lot can make you very very ill. Mushrooms should not be trifled with as there are a lot of poisonous mushroom that can easily be mistaken for edible one.

Pictures in a book shouldn't be relied on as your sole source of information.

I'm assuming that you are in York, England. Here is a list of fungi identification classes.

Fungi Identification courses in UK - search 15 UK Fungi Identification courses
 
Hi Thanks for all this. I like the mushroom log. I suppose I need to tread with caution as some mushrooms are poisonous. I take it the log has user friendly mushrooms but I would need to know what to avoid. Any help on what to look for in this area or is it pot luck.

TIA

Desmond.
If you buy a log from a mushroom farm then the mushrooms that grow on it will be edible.
 
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