Herb. No. 174 · Strophariaceae
Japanese hardwood log fungus, now a cool-weather block crop.
Native · East Asia
Native Also grown
LegalGentlefungus
Nameko
Pholiota nameko
The amber, glossy soup mushroom of Japanese kitchens — a cultivated cluster whose slime is the point of the miso.
Nameko is a cultivated Pholiota, grown on logs and blocks. The cap is amber and sticky; the mucilage thickens soup. Traditional Japanese food, not a tonic conk. Grow it from spawn. Wild Pholiota includes species you should not eat. This plate is the cultivated one.
Flavor
Mild, nutty, slightly sweet; the slime is silk in a broth.
Parts used
Fruiting body
Helpful
- A kit or log crop
- The authentic miso-soup mushroom
Cautions
- Wild cousins can fool you
- The slime puts some people off