Asian Mushrooms

ycophilia runs deep in culinary traditions throughout Asia, at least as far back as the cultivation of in China and Japan fetch as much as $2,200 per pound. Their cinnamony, piney aroma is so intense that just one can infuse an entire pot of rice with flavor. Petal-like mushrooms are typically torn apart and seared; they’re related to—but barely resemble—stocky (or king trumpets), which hold up well to grilling and tempura frying. Jelly fungi, such as and (or snow mushrooms), are often sold dried but turn slippery and crisp when rehydrated in soups, stir-fries, and salads. Milky-white (or enoki) are cooked lightly to avoid breaking their delicate stems. caps glisten with a gelatinous film that adds body to soups and sauces. (or hens of the woods) form as frilly, leaf-shaped fruit bodies. Silky, domed are the third-most-consumed mushroom worldwide; they are often eaten from bowls of the Thai coconut soup tom kha gai. (or beech) mushrooms can be brown or white. They taste unpalatably bitter when raw but mellow when stir-fried.