Shimeji
Shimeji (Japanese language：シメジ, 占地) is a group of edible mushrooms native to East Asia, but also found in northern Europe.[1] Hon-shimeji (Lyophyllum shimeji) is a mycorrhizal fungus and difficult to cultivate. Other species are saprotrophs, and buna-shimeji is now widely cultivated. Shimeji is rich in umami tasting compounds such as guanylic acid, glutamic acid, and aspartic acid.[2]
Species
There are several species sold as shimeji mushrooms. All are saprotroph except Lyophyllum shimeji.
- Mycorrhiza
- Hon-shimeji (ja:ホンシメジ), Lyophyllum shimeji
- The cultivation methods have been patented by several groups, such as Takara Bio[3] and Yamasa,[4] and the cultivated hon-shimeji is available from several manufacturers in Japan.[5][6]
- Saprotroph
- Buna-shimeji (ja:ブナシメジ lit. beech shimeji), Hypsizygus tessellatus, also known in English as the Brown Beech or Brown Clamshell Mushroom
- Hypsizygus marmoreus is a synonym of Hypsizigus tessellatus. Cultivation of Buna-shimeji was first patented by Takara Shuzo Co.,Ltd. in 1972 as hon-shimeji and the production started in 1973 in Japan.[7] Now, several breeds are widely cultivated and sold fresh in markets.
- Bunapi-shimeji (ja:ブナピー), known in English as the White Beech or White Clamshell Mushroom
- Bunapi was selected from UV-irradiated buna-shimeji ('hokuto #8' x 'hokuto #12') and the breed was registered as 'hokuto shiro #1' by Hokto Corporation.[8][9]
- Hatake-shimeji (ja:ハタケシメジ), Lyophyllum decastes
- Shirotamogidake (ja:シロタモギダケ), Hypsizigus ulmarius
- These two species had been also sold as hon-shimeji.
- Velvet pioppino (alias Velvet pioppini, Black poplar mushroom, Chinese: 茶樹菇), Agrocybe aegerita
Cooking
Shimeji should always be cooked: it is not a good mushroom to serve raw due to a somewhat bitter taste, but the bitterness disappears completely upon cooking. The cooked mushroom has a pleasant, firm, slightly crunchy texture and a slightly nutty flavor. Cooking also makes this mushroom easier to digest. In stir-fried foods, as well as with wild game or seafood it is a good mushroom. Also it can be used in soups, stews and in sauces. When cooked alone, Shimeji mushrooms can be sautéed as a whole, including the stem or stalk (only the very end cut off), using a higher temperature or they can be slow roasted on a low temperature with a small amount of butter or cooking oil. Shimeji is used in soups, nabe and takikomi gohan.
See also
References
- ^ Hon Shimeji located in Sweden - http://www.spiegel.de/wissenschaft/natur/0,1518,703531,00.html (German) - retrieved June 30 2010
- ^ Template:Ja icon Hyoeiオリジナルコラム（なでしこ通信） 日本人はキノコが大好き, Hyogo NCC College.
- ^ METHOD FOR ARTIFICIALLY CULTURING LYOPHYLLUM SHIMEJI, TAKARA AGURI KK, JP2001120059. ARTIFICIAL CULTIVATION METHOD OF LYOPHYLLUM SHIMEJI, TAKARA BIO INC, JP2007143565.
- ^ NEW STRAIN OF LYOPHYLLUM SHIMEJI AND USE OF THE SAME, YAMASA SHOYU KK, JP2006271234. METHOD FOR ARTIFICIALLY CULTURING LYOPHYLLUM SHIMEJI AND CULTURE MEDIUM, Yamasa Shoyu KK, JP2007054044.
- ^ Template:Ja icon 雪国本しめじ, Yukiguni Maitake Co.,Ltd.
- ^ Template:Ja icon ヤマサほんしめじ, Yamasa Coorporation.
- ^ Template:Ja icon Hypsizigus marmoreus - 長期利用微生物参考データ（食品工業利用微生物）, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Japan.
- ^ Bunashimeji and Bunapi, Hokto Corporation.
- ^ Template:Ja icon ホクト白１号菌 (第13294号), Plant Variety Protection, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (Japan).
External links
- Honshimeji Mushroom, RecipeTips.com. Brown Beech (Buna shimeji), White Beech (Bunapi shimeji), and the Pioppino (Agrocybe aegerita) mushrooms.