Herb. No. 072 · Physalacriaceae
Winter velvet shank on temperate hardwoods; the needle form is a Japanese crop.
Native · East Asia · Europe · North America
Native Also grown
LegalGentlefungus
Enoki
Flammulina velutipes
The needle mushroom of hot-pot — food first, with a modest winter immune tradition in East Asia.
Supermarket enoki are grown in the dark, tall and pale. Wild Flammulina is a winter mushroom on stumps, orange and short. Both are food. A Japanese study culture around Flammulina and immune fractions exists; the defensible daily use is soup.
Flavor
Mild, a little sweet and crunchy; broth-friendly rather than seared.
Parts used
Fruiting body
Helpful
- Cheap grocery fungus
- Kits exist
- Gentle
Cautions
- Rare listeria outbreaks on packaged enoki — cook them
- Wild ID must be certain