The mushrooms of the Far East have gained a lot of attention in recent years for both their tastiness and their healthful qualities. They're particularly important in soups and classical stir-fries. They can be used in any type of cuisine, not just Asian, and they come in many, many varieties that can certainly be found here in the U.S.. You may already know about shiitake, the famous black mushroom of Chinese and Japanese cuisine, but there are many more. I will focus here on the culinary mushrooms, because there are some mushrooms (such as reishi) that are used purely medicinally.
Shiitake
Shiitake (Letinula edodes) is the most famous Asian mushroom out there. It name literally means "Chinquapin tree mushroom" in Japanese, since it grows on the chinquapin tree. It is generally sold dried, and is of a dark brown or black hue, often with spots. The Chinese name for shiitake is Xiang Gu which means tasty mushroom. Another Chinese name for it is black mushroom. It's important to know the Chinese name because shiitake is often sold in large bags in the dry-goods section at Chinese grocery stores for a fraction of the price that the health food shop charges.
To prepare dried shiitakes, you must first rehydrate them in boiling water. Pour boiling water over well-washed shiitakes in a bowl. You'll know when they're ready when the stems are tender, because the stems are the last to rehydrate. After they're done rehydrating, wash them again, because dirt is frequently hidden in the gills.
Shiitakes go well with heavy flavors like soy sauce, ginger, and garlic, and they especially go well in stews and soups. When using them in a stir fry, they go well with yu choy (baby canola greens), gai lan (Chinese broccoli), broccoli and other strongly-flavored Brassica greens. A famous dish is chao shuang dong (two 'winters' stir fry), which is a stir fry of shiitakes and bamboo shoots. The name is a play on some common names for shiitake and bamboo shoot, which are dong gu (winter mushroom) and dong sun (winter bamboo shoots), since both of them are eaten in winter. Shiitakes are also used to give a meaty, flavorful boost to vegan dishes such as Buddha's delight and stewed seitan.
Enokitake
Enokitake (Flammulina velutipes) is a small, delicate white mushroom that grows in clumps and is used in clear soups and broths. Again, enokitake means, in Japanese, mushroom that grows on the hackberry tree. You may have guessed now that take is the Japanese word for mushroom, and that gu is the Chinese word. The Chinese name for enokitake is jin jen gu, which means golden needle mushroom, since enokitake are long and skinny. Enokitake are always eaten fresh, because they are crunchy and flavorful and used in these very fresh, summery dishes.
When you're cooking enokitake in a soup, always put them in at the very end, after you've turned off the heat and right before serving. You could put enokitake in as you serve the soup. Usually, they'll be used in a clear broth that has vegetables, sliced meats, and is light-flavored with cilantro and green onions instead of a heavy stew with soy sauce and ginger. You can also have them raw in a salad, or use them as a side in hotpot and put some hot sauce on them.
Straw Mushrooms
Straw mushrooms (Volvaria volvacea) are your typical southern Chinese stir-fry mushroom. They're called straw mushrooms because they're grown on rice straw. So, of course, they're eaten where rice is frequently grown: southern China, southeast Asia, Vietnam. They're usually sold canned in brine in Chinese grocery stores, and they're used in Vietnamese cooking, where they're called nam rom.
Some typical applications for straw mushrooms include classic Southern Chinese stir fried dishes with ingredients like snow peas, water chestnuts and the like. Straw mushrooms lend a crunchy flavor the pretty much anything relating to soup or stir fry. I personally use them with less strongly-flavored vegetables, such as the aforementioned snow peas, rather than with tomatoes or bell peppers. They also go well in Thai curries, Pho, and other dishes of Southeast Asia.
Shimeji
Shimeji (Lyophyllum shimeji, Hypsizygus tessellatus) are medium-sized mushrooms mostly eaten in Japan. The first is referred to as hon-shimeji, the latter as buna-shimeji. They're versatile, contain healthful amino acids, and traditionally grow on beech trees, which gives them their alternate name, beech mushroom. However, most shimeji that I see at the store right now are grown hydroponically.They can be either white or brown, and they look related to enokitaki, but have a much nuttier, more buttery flavor.
Shimeji are sold fresh, and can be used in stir fries, soups, hot pots, stews, and pretty much anything you can think of. They add crunchy tastiness to any stir fry. Sometimes I give them a fusion twist by sauteeing them in butter and adding a little sea salt; since they are so flavorful, I sometimes eat them on toast, or with a little rice.
This is by no means a comprehensive guide to Asian mushrooms. There are many, many mushrooms found in the East, and some other common types, like wood ears and oyster mushrooms, will be covered in Part 2 of this series. Now it's time to head to the Asian market for some mushrooms! Bon appetit!
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