"Star among Fungi"——Flower Mushroom

Mushrooms are a very common ingredient. There are many kinds on the market. What are the real mushrooms? How to choose? If you want to figure out what flower mushrooms are, you must start with shiitake mushrooms. Shiitake mushrooms are a large category. The most common mushroom products on the market include flower mushrooms, white mushrooms and mushrooms (also called xiangxin). The flower mushroom is the top grade of shiitake mushrooms and a kind of mountain delicacy. It is also known as the "star among mushrooms". Flower mushrooms are the easiest to distinguish from their appearance. There are cracked patterns on their canopies, while white mushrooms and mushrooms have no patterns.

The cultivation method determines the quality of flower mushrooms. There are roughly two methods of growing mushrooms. One is the most common method of growing mushrooms in mushroom bags. The mushroom bags are filled with sawdust. Mushrooms in greenhouses have a short growth cycle and a large yield. Because of this, the aroma of this kind of mushroom is lighter, the meat is thinner, and some of the lower quality ones have a rotten smell of sawdust. Another method is to use logs to cultivate, which requires drilling holes in the natural wood and planting mycelium to wait for the mushrooms to grow slowly. Mushrooms grown this way have a richer flavor and thicker, tighter flesh. Because the cost of log cultivation is high, it takes a long time, and the yield is low, it is expensive.

The highest quality flower mushroom is undoubtedly the Tenbai flower mushroom produced in Japan. The overall color of the Japanese Sky White Mushroom is white, and the pattern is less obvious. The top-quality white mushrooms have a unique light aroma, are not rotten after being cooked for a long time, and have a smooth taste. The authentic Tianbai mushroom is a log mushroom with a growth cycle of 18 months. Therefore, the mushroom meat is thick and solid, and its texture is similar to meat. It can be used to make various meat-like vegetarian dishes, and it is a top-quality vegetarian ingredient.