someone once told me that life is like a clump of mushrooms you never know if you're in for
a fun and possibly life-changing experience or if you're on a culinary trip that may very well
end your life mushrooms are one of life's most intriguing treasures all mushrooms are fungi but
not all fungi are mushrooms according to me you must go to gain more experience about the amazing
mushroom world with a good expert of course so that they can tell you the difference between what
is delicious and what is deadly as you navigate through over 5 000 species of mushroom in japan
today i become mushroom hunter in the japanese forest
and doing my autumn walk let's see if we can find some good edible mushrooms
if you get lucky mushroom hunting in japanese forest
there's a high chance you will find nemiko mushroom
one of the reasons why these hearty fungi are so highly prized as food
is because they are packed full of vitamins and minerals yet very
low in calories and they are found pretty much anywhere on the surface of this earth
in japan mushroom gathering enthusiasts are very likely to encounter the namiko mushroom
this can literally be translated as slimy mushroom but hold on before you make any snap judgments
about the taste despite this somewhat unattractive name namiko mushrooms are phenomenal with sake
and the only reason for their name is because of the fact that the surface of their body is covered
by a natural gelatin that gives it a slippery mouth feel some common culinary applications of
the namiko mushroom include its place in miso soup because their texture and mild but earthy taste
namico is also chock full of vitamin b copper potassium and calcium and it has
been reputed to fight against cancer act as an antioxidant and lower cholesterol levels
walk continuously in the forest and you may be able to find murasaki shimeji another popular
mushroom in japanese forest is murasaki shimeji this colorful species of mushroom is bright purple
japanese people love it because of its fresh clean flavor and its excellent pairing with potatoes
if we continue our journey in japanese forest we may find this delicious mushroom
matsutake are also known as the diamond of mushrooms in japan usually quite expensive they're
often steamed with rice for their spicy aromatic odor of course if you're in the japanese market
for something a little bit more exclusive then you can buy the matsutake one of the reasons why this
delicacy is so expensive is because it cannot be cultivated and has to be harvested from the wild
and due to shortage the price can reach as high as 1 000 us dollars per kilogram or it
may be one hundred dollars for a single mushroom depending on the grade and the quality this little
mound right here got some mozzie according to historical legends matsutake is such a delicacy
that ancient samurai used to roam under red pines to pick some delicious matsutake
but don't just stop there because we can probably find some more interesting fungi
look at this one this is a shiitake mushroom the japanese word shi means tree and
take means mushroom as we know the shiitake mushroom primarily grows on trees in the forest
unlike the previously mentioned matsutake it can be cultivated
by embedding sponge plugs in two meter long wooden stems
the mushrooms absorb nutrients from the log forming full bodied shiitake in about two weeks
the end result is a highly nutritious fungi with large brown caps
ranging from tan to dark in color and white stems one of the preferred ways
to serve this delicious delicacy is dried and rehydrated and this process
really brings out its distinctive messiness and smoky flavor shiitake mushrooms are used
in soups stir fries and stock in whatever form providing enough copper to keep your heart healthy
oh and look at these mushrooms these are maitake mushrooms the maitake or dancing
mushrooms can be found in japanese hardwood forests and they derive their name from their
characteristic shape which makes it look like they're spreading out their wings and having fun
this relatively inexpensive delicacy will cost you about 90 yen or about a dollar in
most supermarkets and has a fairly soft texture without the usual squeakiness
and it has sort of like a cerebellum of a brain and these are just uber delicious often known as
the king of mushrooms maitake can exist in clumps of up to 40 kilograms as the white top base grows
in numerous feathery leaves these can easily be separated for a healthy and nutritious meal
these mushrooms have been reputed to have antioxidant and anti-carcinogenic properties too
probably while walking in the forest we won't recognize this ugly looking fungi
this ugly yet very popular mushroom in japan is known as kikurage
these oddly shaped fungal mushrooms don't grow like ordinary mushrooms with the
typical stemming cap but instead their shape resembles a human ear
these dark brown delicacies are unusually crunchy and as such are typically used as ramen topping
yet another mushroom you should try out is called enoki or inokitake these
long skinny mushrooms are popular in a lot of asian dishes and are commonly referred to as
winter mushrooms because they're typically grown in the season from september to march
they have the texture of noodles when fresh and you should look out for
white shiny caps and stalls as an indicator that you bought the freshest enoki possible
like most mushrooms enoki can be cultivated for year-round availability
and they provide similar antioxidants and anti-carcinogenic properties
the enoki mushroom is a large mushroom for people who want a rich mouthful
this species of oyster mushroom is usually served sliced or used in sauteed or grilled dishes
in my personal opinion a lot of flavor or umami
really comes out when it's cooked so you might want to try that out
check out this one this oringi mushroom considered to be the largest species of the oyster mushroom
and they're pretty popular in japan
it is thick has a meaty stem and is usually sliced and incorporated into sauteed or grilled dishes
they don't have a lot of flavor when you eat them raw but when cooked the umami comes forward
i find them particularly good when grilled
they produce a meaty taste and probably the
main reason why they're available in convenience stores everywhere in japan
while exploring the forest very few people find this mushroom the rarest mushroom on this list is
probably the red ricey mushroom this delicacy only grows at the base of deciduous trees and
they have been used for centuries as medicines for infections in fact these mushrooms have also been
used as a juven cancer therapy its medicinal use is considered to be more important than its taste
to be frank the ricey mushroom is both bitter and can cause severe allergic reactions
if you eat them by accident so don't eat everything okay don't need to be that hungry
now let's look at these cuties these are puffball mushrooms
you don't have to worry too much the puffball mushrooms are very common and basically harmless
you will recognize them because of their distinctive puff of brown spores when
they're squeezed they don't taste too bad either although some puffballs or
puffball look-alikes may be poisonous so you want to be careful
as we keep going in the forest we'll probably find something interesting now look at this
one these are fukuorotake mushrooms they look like egg-shaped mushrooms with a mild taste
the name fukorotake can be translated to mean bag in japanese and these mushrooms
are typically grown on top of rice straw and harvested before they reach full maturity
they are usually exported outside japan either dried
or canned which may impact the flavor a little bit
well what to say about the next mushroom it's a pretty strange one and at the same time you will
become rich if you get caterpillar mushroom or caterpillar fungus this mushroom is pretty much
exclusively used for its medicinal value it is known as tochugaso in japanese and you may
recognize the name from ancient remedies and most expensive lists yes that's right the caterpillar
mushroom carries a hefty price as it's typically regarded as the most valuable parasite in the
world just one pound of this fungus can cost a stunning 63 000 us dollars this exorbitant
price may be due to the presence of cordyceps an adenosine derivative richly contained in
the mushroom before you reach for your wallet you should be aware that this fungus also has
a rich amount of arsenic and other heavy metals so they're both toxic and tightly fda regulated
and that brings us to the end of this video if you truly love these crazy fungi then make
sure you hit the like and subscribe buttons and press the notification
bell icon too i'll see you guys next time with mushroom-filled mouths and open minds