If you eat mushrooms well, you will reach paradise early?

If you eat mushrooms well, you will reach paradise early?

The original article can be found at the end of the article. Guokr Nature 2023-08-04 12:02 Published in Beijing

In Yunnan, "mushroom poisoning" and "Japanese pustules" are both commonly used to insult people, which shows that "mushroom poisoning" is quite common in the lives of Yunnan people. There is even a saying that if you have never been poisoned by mushrooms, you are not a real Yunnan person. In fact, only a small number of wild mushrooms eaten by Yunnan people are toxic, but if they are not cooked properly or the wrong mushrooms are picked, they may cause poisoning or even death.

A corner of Yunnan Mushroom Market

As of March 2019, a total of 227 common wild edible mushrooms and 14 conditionally edible ( edible after harmless treatment ) common wild mushrooms were sorted out in the Yunnan market. After entering June, wild mushrooms from all over Yunnan began to emerge in the market one after another, and continued until November before gradually ending, with the peak in July, August and September. Speaking of Yunnan wild edible mushrooms, the first thing to mention is the "Four Kings of Yunnan Mushrooms": Matsutake, Chicken, Boletus and Dry Mushroom, in addition to Amanita, Red Mushroom, Chanterelle, Tiger Palm Mushroom, Oleaceae, Coral Mushroom, etc.

Matsutake

Tricholoma matsutake is commonly known as Matsutake, a name passed down from Japan. It is distributed in high-altitude areas from Northeast China to Yunnan, and has a unique pine resin aroma. Although artificial cultivation research has been carried out for nearly a hundred years, it has not been successful.

Fresh matsutake mushrooms collected by mountain people and displayed in restaurants

Japanese people like to eat matsutake, so most of Yunnan's matsutake is exported to Japan, South Korea and other countries. However, the people of Yunnan, where matsutake is produced, did not have the habit of eating matsutake earlier, perhaps because matsutake is expensive (in some seasons, the exported matsutake can be sold for thousands of yuan per pound when it comes down from the mountains). In recent years, with the influx of outsiders, many matsutake have appeared in the Yunnan market. However, most of these matsutake are picked by the mountain people themselves or selected for export that do not meet the standards. As long as they are not rotten, they can be eaten with confidence .

Matsutake Rice | suntory-kenko.com

Another species that is very similar to matsutake and often confused with it is false matsutake (also known as false pine mushroom, silly pine mushroom, Tricholoma bakamatsutake). The fruiting bodies of false matsutake are usually smaller and the fragrance is not as strong as that of matsutake. Experienced harvesters can distinguish them by their morphology and usually trade them at the price of lower-grade matsutake. In the wild, the most obvious difference between matsutake and false matsutake is the difference in ecology. Matsutake grows under pine trees while false matsutake grows under oak trees.

Agaricus subrufescens, which is very common in the market, has nothing to do with Matsutake｜Sydney

Chicken

The texture of the mushroom resembles chicken (of course, it also looks like chicken when it is in the bud stage) and has a unique fragrance. It is the most popular wild edible mushroom in Yunnan. The mushroom is a fungus grown by termites of the subfamily Macrotermitinae of the family Termitidae, and it coexists with these termites in a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship.

Therefore, at present, chrysanthemums cannot be cultivated artificially. All chrysanthemums claiming to be cultivated artificially are fraudulent . For example, the artificially cultivated mushroom Oudemansiella raphanipes, which has been sold under the trade name of "black chrysanthemums" for many years, is a real fake. Oudemansiella raphanipes is docile and easy to cultivate. Its flesh is tender and crisp, and it is somewhat similar to chrysanthemums. No wonder it is used to impersonate high-quality wild mushrooms such as chrysanthemums.

To see if it's true, just look at the price | Sydney

Temitomyces heimii, also known as the anthill mushroom, is often mistaken for the false anthill mushroom because of its hollow stem during the mushroom bud period (left)

There are more than 20 species of chicken in the world, mostly distributed in Africa and Asia, and there are 12 species recorded in China. But in the eyes of ordinary people in Yunnan, chicken is generally divided into five categories: white-skinned chicken, green-skinned chicken, yellow-skinned chicken, torch chicken and chicken flower , with the taste and price decreasing in turn.

White skin chicken

White-skinned chicken is the best with white color and large size: delicate taste and rich aroma. The cap is often white, and the base of the stipe is often swollen and convex.

White-skinned chicken representative: Temitomyces eurhizus

Green skin chicken

The quality of green-skinned chicken is slightly inferior to that of white-skinned chicken. The cap is often gray and the bottom of the stem is often bulging.

Green-skinned chicken representative: Termitomyces globulus

Yellow skin chicken

The taste and aroma of the yellow-skinned chicken are medium; the cap is often yellow, and the bottom of the stem is often convex.

Yellow-skinned chicken representative: Termitomyces aurantiacu

Torch Chicken

Torch mushrooms are often thin and weak, with a slightly poor taste and aroma. The cap is often gray, and the stem often has no protrusions. This type of mushroom grows in large quantities around the Torch Festival of the Yi people, hence the name.

Torch Chicken Representative: Tremitomyces striatus

Chicken flower

Although the taste and aroma of the chicken flower are strong, it needs the termites to move out of the nest before the fruiting body can grow. It is small and similar to the enoki mushroom, and it is often covered with dirt and difficult to clean, so it is generally not sold.

Chicken flower: Termitomyces microcarpus

The best chicken is the mushroom bud, which is tender, fragrant, crisp and sweet. It can be cut into slices. When the chicken opens its cap and becomes umbrella-shaped, the taste of the chicken will deteriorate, the meat will be soft, and sometimes even chewy. At this time, the chicken should not be cut with a knife but torn by hand.

Chicken meat is similar to chicken

Boletus

Boletus is the main force in the wild mushroom market in Yunnan, and is famous for its ability to cause hallucinations and poisoning reactions. There are many types of boletus, and there are as many as 100 edible boletus in Yunnan, but only more than 10 are common. Yunnan people roughly divide boletus into five categories based on their appearance: milk boletus, black boletus, white boletus, yellow boletus and onion mushrooms , and the taste and price increase in turn.

Various types of porcini mushrooms sold mixed in the market

Suillus

Suillus includes many species of boletus, most of which are yellow and have slimy caps . They are common in large numbers, but some species can cause diarrhea after consumption.

Suillus sp.

Black Boletus

Black boletus is relatively common and black in appearance, including many types of boletus. Among them is the only boletus that can be cultivated artificially on the market : Phlebopus portentosus, also known as "black boletus".

Boletus in the restaurant: upper right black boletus; lower left white boletus, Boletus edulis; lower right onion mushroom, Boletus bicolor

White Boletus

White boletus generally refers to the species Boletus bainiugan, which is yellow in appearance, tastes good, and is also a common boletus in restaurants.

Yellow Boletus

The yellow boletus includes many types of boletus, which can be further divided into many types of boletus, such as: Lao Lai Tou, Lao Hu Tou, etc.

Representatives of yellow boletus: Leccinum sp.;

Tiger head mushrooms sold in the market: Leccinum sp. (middle)

Onion mushroom

Onion mushrooms are actually the same as Jianshouqing , which is named because the wound will quickly turn blue after being injured. Onion mushrooms are very popular because they can emit an onion fragrance, and the price has always been high. Onion mushrooms include many types of boletus, which can be further divided into red onion mushrooms, white onion mushrooms, etc. Uncooked onion mushrooms often cause poisoning, and the most famous symptom is "hallucination", and you can see the so-called dancing little people after eating. In addition to hallucinations, symptoms of poisoning include diarrhea, nonsense, dizziness, mania, nausea, vomiting, memory loss, etc., so don't try to cook uncooked boletus with a try mentality.

The green boletus changes color due to oxidation of phenols. The cut green boletus quickly turns blue.

Dry mushroom

Ganbajun, also known as Ganbajun (Thelephora ganbajun), is mainly distributed in the central Yunnan Plateau and is a mushroom unique to China . Ganbajun looks very different from other mushrooms. Its flesh is tough, its fiber is tender, and it has a fresh fragrance. This kind of mushroom is generally not counterfeited with other mushrooms, so it can be eaten with confidence.

wombata | wombata / Mushroom Observer

Russula

Many red mushrooms have bright red caps, and there are also various colorful red mushrooms. The common red mushrooms in the Yunnan market can be divided into two categories: Lactarius and Russula. Most lactarius will ooze out white, yellow, red and other colored latex when injured, while Russula does not. However, some highly toxic red mushrooms are too similar to edible red mushrooms and can easily cause poisoning.

Russula sp.

People call the milk mushrooms that secrete white milky juice "milky mushrooms". They have a sweet taste. Common milk mushrooms include the fragrant milk mushroom (Lactarius camphoratus) and the juicy milk mushroom (Lactarius volemus).

Representative of milk mushrooms: Lactarius sp.

The copper-green fungi that turn copper-green when injured also include many types of milk mushrooms, such as pine milk mushroom (Lactarius deliciosus) and red milk mushroom (Lactarius hatsudake).

Representative of copper green fungi: Lactarius deliciosus

The Lactarius pine mushrooms that turn copper green after being injured and the Lactarius pine mushrooms sold in the market

Russula virescens, also known as the blue-headed mushroom , is the most common wild mushroom in Yunnan’s seasonal markets. The light green cap often has spotted cracks. Similar to this is Russula aeruginea, also known as the “green-faced mushroom”.

Green mushroom: Russula virescens

In addition, purple and red red mushrooms are also often seen in the market. Many of the delicious edible mushrooms and poisonous mushrooms of these two types of red mushrooms look similar, so try to pick larger ones. Do not eat them in the wild . Some poisonous red mushrooms taste bitter or spicy, which can barely prevent poisoning. Red mushrooms are fragile, so they can be blanched in boiling water before cleaning and cooking.

Various colors of red mushrooms sold mixed in the market

Amanita

Many Amanitas are poisonous and can even kill people without their knowledge. The famous highly toxic biological reagent Amanita nitin comes from this. Every year, more than 90% of people who die from poisoning by eating poisonous mushrooms around the world are poisonous Amanitas . However, as the saying goes, wealth is sought in danger, and deliciousness is found in poison (fog), there are always some delicious edible mushrooms.

Amanita mushrooms for sale in the market

Most of the edible Amanita in my country come from the orange-capped Amanita group. They are huge in size and have bright or plain appearance.

The largest representative is the Amanim caesareoides, which is orange-yellow in color, huge in size, and delicious in taste. It often grows under high mountain forests, but some locals call it "yellow umbrella" and believe it is so poisonous that even humans cannot get close to it. Many orange Amanitas look very similar, and it is difficult to tell which is poisonous or not. If you have no experience, do not eat them.

Amanim caesareoides

Amanita phalloides is actually bigger than a human face

Another simple edible Amanita is Amanim yuaniana, commonly known as "hemp hen". It looks very similar to the highly poisonous Amanita, Amanita fuliginea, but is a little larger than the latter, which has caused many poisoning deaths. Therefore, some local people in Yunnan believe that hemp hen is highly poisonous and cannot be eaten, but it may still appear in the market.

Eating Amanita is the most risky. It is recommended that you only eat the giant orange Amanita (cap diameter over 10cm) when in Yunnan. This will reduce the probability of poisoning. As for the white and gray Amanita, try not to eat them if you can.

Amanita muscaria (left), Amanita subfrostiana (center), and Amanim caesareoides (right) look similar, but only Amanita subfrostiana is edible, while the others are poisonous.

Chanterelles

Chanterelles are a general term for mushrooms in the Chanterelle family. There are not many species, and each has a different appearance. Most are golden in color and have an excellent flavor.

Cantharellus sp.

Coral fungi

People in Yunnan call Ramaria "broom fungus". There are not many species, but they look like corals and have different colors, such as yellow, white, and purple. Ramaria tastes slightly sour and is not a good product. It looks similar to some poisonous fungi. Try to buy the fat ones on the market.

Tiger Palm Mushroom

The common types of tiger's paw mushrooms are black tiger's paw and yellow tiger's paw, which refer to Sarcodon imbricatus and Albatrellus ellisii respectively. Tiger's paw mushrooms are edible when young, but they are slightly tough and have a special flavor after corking.

Albatrellus ellisii sold in the market

Oyster mushroom

In addition to Tricholoma matsutake, Tricholoma terreum, commonly known as "little gray fungus" and "gray gray fungus", and Tricholoma equestre, commonly known as "yellow silk fungus" and "buckwheat fungus", are representative of Tricholoma. They are eaten in many places in Yunnan. They are produced in large quantities, have no unique taste, and are cheap. However, it is also necessary to distinguish them from poisonous fungi.

Gray fungus: brown gray mushroom Tricholoma myomyces

Gray mushrooms for sale in the market

A mushroom called "old man's head": Catathelasma ventricosum (middle)

I have introduced so many edible wild mushrooms in Yunnan, but I have not mentioned morels and bamboo fungus, because they have been cultivated and can be eaten all year round. Truffles are mainly used for export and are rarely eaten in Yunnan. Next, I will introduce the issues that everyone is more concerned about.

How to identify poisonous mushrooms?

All the mushrooms mentioned above without special instructions can be eaten safely, but you should be careful about those that are poisonous or look like poisonous fungi. Even those collected by so-called mountain people need to be cautious.

There is no easy way to identify poisonous mushrooms in the world. The best way is not to eat them. If you have no experience, you must not collect mushrooms in the wild. Many people have been poisoned and died in this way. Most of the various methods of identifying poisonous mushrooms circulating on the Internet are misleading . Whoever believes them will be fooled.

Poisonous mushrooms occasionally appear in Yunnan markets, and even experienced mushroom pickers can fail . Therefore, try to buy wild mushrooms that are sold by everyone, and try not to try those that are unique.

Almost every restaurant in Yunnan will post this poster, but just take a look at the descriptions of the first, third and fourth pictures.

How to choose wild mushrooms on the market?

The biggest problem with wild mushrooms on the market is that they contain maggots . Damage caused by transportation is a minor issue. Maggots that eat mushrooms do not have any toxic effects, so you can eat them without worry. But many people are very resistant to this, so when choosing, try to choose mushroom buds, and try not to choose mushrooms that open into an umbrella shape , especially red mushrooms and boletus (chicken mushrooms, dry mushrooms, tiger palms, etc. are not affected by this). Almost every red mushroom and boletus that opens into an umbrella shape contains maggots. When choosing boletus, gently pinch the stem. If it is very hard, there are basically no maggots. If it is very soft, there are maggots in 80% of the cases. If the base of the stem of the boletus slices in the restaurant is black, it is the mark left after being gnawed by maggots.

Maggots leave food marks inside the green hand

Maggots on Russula: Maggots first feed at the base of the stipe (left), then drill into the cap to feed

There are many ways to eat wild mushrooms. Soup, stir-fry, steam, stew, and hot pot are all very common ways to eat them. If you go to Yunnan, you can also try special ways to eat them, such as charcoal grilling, wrapping, and mushroom sauce. For example, chicken pudding oil: wash fresh umbrella-shaped chicken puddings, tear them into small strips, and fry them until golden. Then put the oil and chicken pudding residue into a can and seal it. Use it as a side dish, and it will smell delicious.

Finally, the author reminds you: There are tens of millions of species of mushrooms, but we only have one life. If you are not careful when eating mushrooms, your loved ones will shed tears.

Author: Jian Yiling

Reviewers: Silkworm Boy, October

Editor: Calendar Girl

This article comes from GuokrNature (ID: GuokrNature)

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