Hericium erinaceus, does it look like a monkey head?

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization once proposed that "the best dietary structure for humans is 'one meat, one vegetable and one mushroom'." The mushrooms, which were once hidden in the mountains, have now quietly jumped onto the dining table and become the "new favorite" on people's tongues. Among them, Hericium erinaceus, with its extremely high nutritional value, has become the "only mushroom" among hundreds of mushrooms.

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The origin of Hericium erinaceus

Hericium erinaceus, also known as hericium, hericium erinaceus, hedgehog mushroom, cauliflower mushroom, etc., is an edible mushroom of the genus Hericium, family Odontorrhizaceae, class Basidiomycetes. Although the name of Hericium erinaceus sounds familiar, many people may not have seen the real Hericium erinaceus. The shape of Hericium erinaceus is very special. Its fruiting body is round and thick, and the cap has thorns, which face upward. It is white when fresh, and turns from light yellow to light brown when dry. The base is narrow or has a short stalk, and the upper part is swollen. The diameter is 3.5-10 cm. From a distance, it looks furry and round, like a monkey's head, so it has earned the reputation of "hericium erinaceus".

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Hericium erinaceus is one of the eight "mountain delicacies" of China. It is not only an edible delicacy, but also an important medicinal mushroom. Since ancient times, there has been a saying that "hericium erinaceus is a mountain delicacy, and bird's nest is a seafood delicacy". It is listed as one of the four famous dishes along with bear paws, sea cucumbers and shark fins. Fresh hericium erinaceus is off-white, with a furry outer part, called a thorn. The thorns of fresh hericium erinaceus are soft and contain more water. They will break if you pinch them hard. They are very delicious when used to stew soup.

my country is the main production area of ​​wild Hericium erinaceus. Hericium erinaceus is a saprophytic fungus. In the mountainous areas of southwest my country, it mainly appears on rotten wood in the forests of the mountains in July and August, and in northeast my country it generally appears in August and September. Due to the low yield of wild Hericium erinaceus, it is now basically cultivated artificially.

Why is Hericium erinaceus so popular?

"Chinese Medicinal Fungi" records: "Hericium erinaceus is sweet, mild in nature, can benefit the five internal organs, aid digestion, nourish, fight cancer, and treat neurasthenia. It has been widely used in China to treat digestive diseases such as indigestion, gastric ulcer, duodenal ulcer, esophageal cancer, and gastric cancer. Hericium erinaceus is rich in nutrients such as protein, vitamins, carbohydrates, crude fiber, calcium, thiamine, riboflavin, and 7 essential amino acids for the human body. Relevant studies have shown that the unsaturated fatty acids contained in Hericium erinaceus can reduce blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, regulate blood lipid levels in the body, and are ideal foods for patients with hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. The Hericium erinaceus polysaccharides contained in Hericium erinaceus can regulate the function of the digestive system, promote the regeneration and repair of gastric mucosa, enhance the protective effect of gastric mucosa, and have a certain inhibitory effect on gastric ulcers. In addition, the Hericium erinaceus polypeptides contained in Hericium erinaceus have the effects of scavenging free radicals and anti-oxidation, which can improve the body's immune function and delay aging. It is an ideal food for both medicine and diet.

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How to prepare dried Hericium erinaceus

Fresh Hericium erinaceus can be cooked directly, but it is not easy to store. Most Hericium erinaceus on the market are dried products, which need to be soaked before eating, commonly known as water-soaked Hericium erinaceus. Compared with ordinary dried mushrooms, the soaking of Hericium erinaceus is more complicated. Generally speaking, the following four methods can be used for soaking.

1. Wash the Hericium erinaceus with clean water and put it in a basin. Add boiling water and steam it in a steamer for several hours until there are no hard lumps when you pinch the Hericium erinaceus by hand.

2. Wash the Hericium erinaceus and put it into a pot of clean water. Simmer over low heat for several hours until it is fully soaked.

3. Wash the Hericium erinaceus and put it into a pot of boiling water. Add appropriate amount of edible alkali and simmer slowly over low heat until the Hericium erinaceus is fully soaked. Then rinse and rinse with clean water until the alkaline taste is removed.

4. Wash the Hericium erinaceus and put it in a pot of water. Simmer it over low heat for 2-3 hours, then add broth or cooking oil and continue to cook until the Hericium erinaceus is fully soaked. Of course, you can also steam the Hericium erinaceus with broth. It should be noted that when soaking the Hericium erinaceus, it is best to soak it in cold water for a while before adding boiling water to steam it or stew it in a pot. This will have a better effect. After soaking, cut off the root of the Hericium erinaceus, otherwise the soup will be bitter.

Written by: Lao Ke Kai Brain Hole

This article is produced by the Science Popularization China-Creation Cultivation Program. Please indicate the source when reprinting