Chinese woody. Black mushroom appetizer

Muer mushroom (Chinese black tree mushroom) is mainly found in Asian countries. It is similar in shape to oyster mushrooms and grows primarily on deciduous trees rather than conifers. The Chinese nicknamed the mushroom “tree ear,” and it really does look like an ear. This mushroom is a treasure trove useful to people substances: protein, vitamins B and C, microelements (iron, calcium, phosphorus) and a complete absence of fat.

There is a legend about this mushroom, as if this mushroom first appeared on the tree that Judas, the traitor of Jesus, chose to hang. People who saw the resemblance of the mushroom to the human ear called this mushroom “Judas’s ear.”

There are two types of muer mushroom: Auricularia auriculata and Auricularia pilosa. Their difference is in appearance and color - ear-shaped mushrooms have an ear-shaped cap and gelatinous translucent flesh, and hairy ones (also known as white Chinese tree mushrooms) are distinguished by a pubescent upper surface of a gray-brown color and their flesh is gray-white. Auricularia eariformis is the more popular species in use.

By the way, the muer mushroom is not always black. There are white (dessert) and yellow types of mushroom. In Russian supermarkets you can most often find dried white Chinese tree mushrooms.

Auricularia eariformis has a very short stalk, and it fits tightly to the tree. The flesh of the mushroom is transparent, very thin and gelatinous. The hat is usually rough on top and smooth on the inside, like the shell of an ear. When dried, the mushroom hardens and decreases in size, but not much.

The mushroom has been used in medicine and cooking since ancient times, especially in ancient China. For example, an infusion of these mushrooms was used by the ancient Chinese people to treat eyes and colds and throat diseases.

In addition, the use of the mushroom was noticed in European countries - Germany, Scotland and Ireland, as stated in historical information.

Medical properties of muer mushroom

Muer is useful for people suffering from anemia, hypertension, diabetes and obesity. It contains antitumor substances, and the mushroom also copes with infections of the upper respiratory tract acting as a mild antibiotic. Benefits of Chinese tree mushrooms makes them a necessary attribute of the daily diet of older people.

Muer is mainly used for treatment and prevention:

Anemia
Hypertension, obesity and diabetes
Increased acidity and cholesterol levels
Reduced immunity

Auricularia eariformis is used in both folk and traditional medicine. For example, in the treatment of severe poisoning, it acts as Activated carbon, that is, acts as a strong absorbent. In addition to its absorbent properties, the muer mushroom has prebiotic properties, which makes it possible to use it for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Due to the ability of the muer mushroom to improve blood composition, it is used in traditional medicine to restore the human body after radiation and chemotherapy. Also, the wood mushroom muer has a property that is useful for athletes - improving metabolism and reducing body weight due to the absence of any fat in the mushroom.

Auricularia ear also has a number of useful properties for cardiovascular diseases, namely, it has a therapeutic effect on blood clotting, which helps to avoid the occurrence of blood clots; helps in the presence of malignant and benign tumors; has a hemostatic, anti-inflammatory and anesthetic effect.

Nutritional composition of muer and use in cooking

Muer has a rich nutritional composition, namely rich in protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, macroelements and microelements. Also included are no less necessary human body magnesium, calcium, silicon, potassium and other elements.

You can cook Chinese muer mushrooms as you please: boil, fry, marinate older mushrooms and eat the “young ones” raw, for example, adding funchose to a salad. They taste slightly sweet, crunch a little in the mouth and resemble cartilage.

Muer mushrooms go well with various food groups; they complement meat well, boiled rice and potatoes. And if you add fried onions, chicken fillet, ginger, garlic and a little soy sauce to the mushrooms and simmer it all over low heat for 10 minutes, you will get a delicacy beloved by the Chinese and Japanese.

They are usually sold in bags or boxes, dried. Before consuming them, you need to cover the mushrooms with water and leave for about 2 hours. Ideally, soak them before bed and leave them overnight. After this, the mushrooms swell and increase in size. In order to feel the taste of the mushroom, a few pieces are enough, it is not necessary to use the whole pack at once. Soaked mushrooms can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. When dried, mushrooms can be stored for a very, very long time.

Another one unusual feature Chinese black muer mushrooms are that they have absolutely no mushroom taste. When the mushrooms are just taken out of the bag, you can feel a slight smoky aroma, which completely disappears after soaking.

Growing mushrooms

For those who are interested in growing mushrooms, there is great news - these mushrooms can be grown at home! It is enough to make 2 cuts on the branches of a deciduous tree (maple, elderberry, alder), and place the mushroom mycelium there. The length of the branches recommended by experts is up to 1 meter, and the diameter is 15 cm.

Favorable time for planting is from April to May. Mushrooms should be germinated at a temperature of 20 degrees in special piles. The germination process usually takes 3 months, and then the logs are installed in a place protected from sunlight.

If the weather was warm and humid, then by the end of summer you will be able to harvest ready-made fruits! It is worth remembering that harvesting occurs only when white pores appear on the bottom of the cap. Typically, fruiting continues for 6 years, but subject to all care conditions.

Chinese muer mushrooms are absolutely harmless to the human body, and, by the way, have no poisonous analogues in nature. The only thing to be wary of is individual intolerance to the components of mushrooms, for example, chitin. Also, special attention and caution should be shown during lactation and pregnant women. We do not recommend giving muer mushrooms to children under 10 years of age.

To summarize, I would like to wish you not to be afraid to experiment, but within reason, watch what you eat and enjoy your meal!

Korean salad

Ingredients for Black Mushroom Appetizer:

Recipe for Black Mushroom Appetizer:

Preface:
I went to my native Voronezh to visit. Before heading back, I decided to stock up on local products - I’ve only recently lived in Moscow, so I still don’t know what’s best to buy where. On one counter I saw something with the inscription “dried black mushrooms.” They cost a penny per bunch (340 rubles per 1 kg). I took 100g for testing.

To my great surprise, I found only 1 recipe with them on the cookbook - it did not suit me. I googled and found information that these are Chinese tree mushrooms - the same ones that are sold in the department Korean salads. Based on several recipes, I made my own version. This is what happened.

We wash the mushrooms cold water and place it on the bottom of a five-liter pan. Fill to the top with warm boiled water(about 30 -40 C). Cover with a lid and leave to swell for 2 hours. During this time they will fill the entire pan.

After 2 hours, drain the mushrooms in a colander and fill them with water again, this time cold. Place in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.
Some recipes advise simply steaming the mushrooms with boiling water (rinse, pour boiling water, add salt and vinegar to the water, cover with a lid and leave for 2 hours). But opponents argue that with this method the mushrooms will not open sufficiently. Normally, muers increase in size by 6-8 times when soaked.

Take the soaked mushrooms out of the refrigerator and drain the water. If you wish, you can cut them into strips - I didn’t. Salt, pour vinegar. I took apple cider vinegar - about 4 tablespoons.

Cut the onion into half rings.

Now is the most crucial moment. It's better to take it here large frying pan with a thick bottom.

Pour into the frying pan more oil- Any odorless one will do. Let's heat it up, but under no circumstances until it smokes! In my opinion, the temperature should be sufficient so that a pinch of salt thrown into the oil dissolves with a characteristic crack - at this moment you need to immediately pour it into the oil hot pepper. Stir quickly and fry for 20 seconds.

Thanks to roasting the peppers ready dish It will slightly burn your throat rather than burn your mouth.

The first time I overheated the oil and burned the pepper. I had to pour it out and start again.

Shiitake is a wood-destroying species of mushroom known in China and Japan for about two millennia. The translation of its name from Japanese literally means “chestnut” and “mushroom”, i.e. mushroom growing on a chestnut tree. And since there are no hissing sounds in the Japanese language, it is more correct to call this Asian mushroom “shiitaki”. In its homeland, it is revered no less than ginseng root for its healing properties.

Already from the beginning of the first millennium AD. Chinese healers used the shiitake mushroom to treat emperors and believed that it was capable of maintaining youth, strength and health. The mushroom was called “imperial” or “elixir of youth.”

The mushroom cap reaches a diameter of up to 20 cm; at first it is convex, and over time it becomes flat. Its color includes all shades of yellow and brown, because... it is not uniform, but spotty. Mature mushrooms are lighter in color than young ones. At first, the edges of the cap are smooth, like the white plates underneath, and then they become jagged. These mushrooms are shaped like meadow champignons.

The inside of the cap is covered with a thin film; when ripe, its integrity is broken, leaving only a fringe around the stem. In the natural environment, they grow singly, attached to a tree trunk. Fruiting occurs after spring and autumn rains.

If the mushroom is grown artificially, then the blocks yield a harvest of at least a third of the weight of the mycelium, and sometimes much more. From three to six such harvests are collected from each of them.

Shiitake is a wood-destroying species of mushroom known in China and Japan for about two millennia.

Shiitake growing places

Shiitake grows in Chinese or Japanese deciduous forests, preferring chestnuts, maples, oaks or ebony trees. It is also found on forest edges, grazing areas and in gardens.

Almost eighty years ago, a method was found for its artificial cultivation while preserving healing properties plants. To do this, use logs or sawdust and husks from rice grains. Only in such a neighborhood can mushrooms be used in medical purposes. And those sold in stores are suitable only for culinary purposes.

Chemical composition of shiitake mushrooms

Shiitake contains about two dozen amino acids, including leucine and lysine, B vitamins, vitamin D. All of them are produced by mushrooms as a result of chemical reactions that occur during their growth. For example, vitamin D is ergosterol transformed under the influence of ultraviolet radiation. Moreover, even three hours of irradiation of mushrooms with sunlight or special lamps per day is enough for this vitamin to be produced in sufficient quantities.

Mushrooms also contain a lot of the rare polysaccharide lentinan, which is not found anywhere else. This unique substance stimulates the production of the enzyme perforin in the body, which “cleanses” the body of abnormal cells - cancerous, necrotic and others.

Shiitake contains about two dozen amino acids, including leucine and lysine, B vitamins, vitamin D

They contain more protein than soybeans or corn. The combination of fiber and all the amino acids necessary for the body leads to a halving of cholesterol in the blood, quickly processing and removing its excess from the body.

And cellulose and chitin, which mushrooms abound in, help get rid of harmful toxins and accumulated radioactive elements.

They contain special inclusions lingans and lingins, which, resembling viruses, help cope with many viruses, bacterial and fungal infections.

Properties of shiitake mushrooms (video)

Useful and medicinal properties of shiitake

Thanks to its unique chemical composition, shiitake has the following properties:

Serves as a prophylactic against cancer for people who have received a high dose of radiation. Helps cope with the consequences of cancer treatment.
Has the ability to lower blood sugar in diabetics. Stimulates normal insulin production and normalizes the functioning of the pancreas.
Helps cope with stress, chronic fatigue and even with some types of benign and malignant tumors, increasing the body's resistance.
By increasing the production of protective antibodies, it is beneficial in the fight against viruses and inflammation, and is a good antipyretic.
Kills pathogenic microflora.
Normalize blood composition.
Prevents the accumulation of cholesterol on the walls of blood vessels.
Improves metabolism, especially carbohydrate metabolism.
Helps cope with sexual impotence. Thanks to high content zinc prevents prostatitis.
Restores damaged myelin fibers - one of the membranes of brain cells.
According to Chinese healers, shiitake has a detrimental effect on all types of hepatitis virus.

Use of shiitake in folk medicine

For the treatment of viral hepatitis, diabetes mellitus, candidiasis, cardiovascular and endocrine diseases, an effective tincture of the imperial mushroom, which can be purchased at the pharmacy. Its independent preparation is also available to everyone, for this you need:

Grind dried mushrooms in a coffee grinder.
Infuse two tablespoons of the resulting powder with half a liter of cognac or vodka in a hermetically sealed glass container for three weeks.
Carefully strain the resulting liquid.
Take a spoon three times a day before meals.

This medicine can be combined with other drugs, the effect of their use will become more noticeable. It is not recommended to drink it only with aconite and aspirin.

Other treatment recipes using drugs based on the “elixir of youth”:

To increase stress resistance and prevent sexual disorders: drink a spoonful of powder three times a day for at least a month.
When preventing cancer, soak a quarter cup of powder in three quarters of a liter of vodka, placed in an airtight glass container, for a month. This is the time to keep it in the refrigerator. Drink the product in the same way as in the previous case.
For high blood pressure and viral infections: dissolve a couple of spoons of powder in a heated water bath vegetable oil, keep it in the refrigerator for a month and drink a spoonful twice a day.
The following remedy helps with the same problems: drink a spoonful of powder on an empty stomach and before bed for a month with a two-week break. The course of treatment lasts from six months to a year.
For female diseases and various types of tumors: keep three tablespoons of powder in half a liter of vodka for a couple of weeks. At this time, shake the suspension several times daily. You need to drink the tincture three times a day, forty minutes before meals, and twenty minutes after that, take a spoonful of pure powder. Take a one-month course, then take a two-week break. Continue alternating for six months to a year.
As a preventative against sclerosis: keep ten spoons of powder in half a liter of cognac for a couple of weeks with constant shaking. Drink a spoonful morning and evening. In the evening, add another spoonful of flax seed oil. It is also useful to combine this remedy with half a spoon of eggshell powder, four capsules fish oil daily. And add to this the weekly consumption of a glass mineral water with a drop of iodine and a spoon apple cider vinegar. If there are contraindications to alcohol, then take a product based on linseed oil or just mushroom powder.

Dietary supplements with shiitake extract

Shiitake mushroom preparations are sold in pharmacies in powder form with added vitamins and microelements. There are also capsules or tablets of various packaging. Reviews about these products are not clear, they are not cheap, they are not medicines, but dietary supplements, because their effectiveness in European countries has not been fully studied.

These drugs are accompanied by detailed instructions with a description of their action, it often also introduces the Chinese mushroom, its chemical composition and properties. After all, not every European consumer is familiar with this ancient oriental healing remedy. The instructions also say that this food supplement, before taking it, consultation with a specialist is necessary. There is also a warning about cases of contraindications for the drug.

The well-known American company Solgar produces shitake extract together with extracts of other medicinal mushrooms, reishi and meitake, in the form of capsules. It is recommended to combine this drug with other antioxidants, multivitamins or dietary supplements Coenzyme Q10. Similar drugs are produced in Germany, Finland and other countries.

Technology for growing shiitake at home

Those who want to grow mushrooms for themselves are recommended to use ready-made mixtures. They contain pressed sawdust and specially selected nutrients for the growth of Chinese mushrooms. In this case, the process of growing shiitake is simplified to the limit.

You can also grow imperial mushrooms on a substrate you make yourself. To do this you need:

Prepare sawdust from ground branches of deciduous trees, having previously cleared them of leaves or take them from a sawmill.
Disinfect sawdust and all tools used to carry out work using special means.
Place the crushed sawdust into bags and add a spoonful of mycelium there.
To ensure that the mushrooms in the bag grow evenly, you need to store them in a warm and dark place.
After two months, the spores in the bags will be mature and ready to grow.
If cultivation is carried out in the summer, then the mass freed from the bags is taken out into the air, washed with cold water and placed in a shaded place.
Mushroom plantings require daily watering.
The caps of grown mushrooms are cut off with a sharp tool, and then the stems.
After the first harvest, the mushroom block is kept in water for a week. Then they put it in the same place and wait for the next harvest.

The maximum harvest from one block is six harvests. The used substrate turns into tyrsa, but it can still serve as fertilizer.

How to cook shiitake correctly

Shiitake is often used in Asian cuisine, it is used in sauces, marinades, added to soups, and cooked as a side dish or main dish. Bright taste The product with its original spiciness gives the dishes a special sophistication.

Dried mushrooms are soaked for several hours, adding a little sugar to the water. Then they are carefully squeezed out and cut into slices. Mushroom water can be added to soups and sauces.

Important! Heat treatment medicinal mushroom must be minimal, otherwise it beneficial features decrease significantly. Mushrooms are fried on vegetable oil with chili pepper, garlic and ginger. At the same time, the mushrooms absorb the taste of the spices without drowning it out.

It's best to serve them with rice noodles with sauce, which includes soy sauce, a little apple cider vinegar and olive oil. The highlight of the dish can be fried slices chicken fillet, seafood or other tender marinated meat.

Recipe for cooking shiitake mushrooms (video)

About the possible harm of shiitake

U healthy mushrooms There are also some contraindications:

Excessive enthusiasm for natural gifts can provoke allergies, diarrhea and diarrhea. Maximum daily dose mushroom 200 grams fresh and 18 grams dried.
You cannot eat them without heat treatment.
You should also not rely on dietary supplements from unverified companies, among which there are often fakes.
Due to the fact that research on the effects of mushrooms on pregnancy and during breastfeeding have not been carried out, it is better to use them during these periods in small doses.
For the same reason, they are not indicated for children under five years of age.
In asthma, they can trigger an attack.

Chinese mushrooms are nutritious and delicious product. Their benefits in the treatment and prevention of many diseases have been proven. They are also suitable for skin rejuvenation as additives to cosmetics. But this product is just beginning to be introduced into our medicine, and has not been fully studied by it. Therefore, you need to start treatment with small doses and first consult with your doctor.

Post Views: 113

Ingredients:

Tree mushrooms (Muer) – 1 package (20 grams),
Onion – 1 head (medium size),
Carrots – 3 pieces (about 100 grams),
Garlic – 2 cloves (small size),
Soy sauce - 2 - 3 tbsp. spoons,
Black and red ground pepper– 1 pinch each,
Ground coriander – ½ teaspoon (without a slide),
Vegetable oil (odorless) – 2 – 3 tbsp. spoons,
Water (boiling water) – 1 liter.

In the East, tree mushrooms are widespread; they are not only tasty, but also very healthy. It contains so much protein that it can be put on a par with meat products according to its content. Muer is rich in microelements, thanks to which it saturates the body during fasting and diets.

Most often, soups and salads are prepared from tree mushrooms, and we will fry them with carrots and onions, perfect dish in post Below in the recipe I will show you how to cook Chinese tree mushrooms with carrots.

How to cook Chinese muer wood mushrooms, recipe with photos

First you need to prepare the ingredients, peel the carrots, onions and garlic.
Remove the wrapper from the mushrooms and place them in a deep bowl. Boil the water.
Pour boiling water over the mushrooms. Cover the top of the cup with a plate or lid and leave for half an hour.
IN hot water the mushrooms will begin to increase in size and reach a weight of 200 grams, and in appearance they will look like “ears”. Remove the mushrooms from the water and rinse thoroughly in cold water.
Then place on a cutting board and cut into small pieces, cutting out the hard parts, we won't need them.
Grate peeled carrots for Korean salads. Cut the onion into thin half rings. Chop the garlic; you can use a garlic press or chop it with a knife.
Pour oil into a frying pan and heat it.
Place onion, carrots and garlic into hot oil. Fry until soft over medium heat.
After 5 - 8 minutes, add the prepared mushrooms. Mix the ingredients. Simmer for a couple more minutes.
Then add soy sauce, ground black and red pepper, coriander. Stir and fry for another 5 minutes over low heat. That's the whole recipe. Now you know how to cook Chinese tree mushrooms.
Prepared mushrooms can be served as a dish on their own, but they also go perfectly with boiled spicy rice. Place mushrooms and rice on a plate and serve with fresh herbs when serving.

Final recipe photo: Stir-fried Chinese Wood Mushrooms

On a note:

Muer or tree mushroom, popularly called “tree ear,” grows in China and rarely comes to our tables. You can only find them in our area in stores; they are sold dry, pressed into small rectangles of 20 grams each. But during the soaking process they increase 10 times, this is a very interesting action.

Kira Stoletova

Description

Over time, the fruiting bodies destroy the wood or sawdust. Representatives have different descriptions:

The black Chinese mushroom does not have a prominent cap and stem; the fruit body is wavy, thin, reminiscent of scallops.
Shiitake by appearance similar to Champignons, only they have a different color.

A feature that unites all Chinese woody mushrooms is the secretion of special enzymes that can break down wood and use this for the rapid growth of the mycelium. Such unpretentiousness to the substrate makes possible cultivation on an industrial scale.

Subspecies

Yellow Polypore;
Orange Polypore;
Coral Woody;
Shiitake;
Black Muer.

The tinder fungus is common in temperate climates. In China, this mushroom is used in medicinal purposes. Such mushrooms grow on the bark of trees, the fruiting body is flat and ear-shaped, there is no prominent stem. There are conditionally edible and inedible species. Polypores that grow on coniferous trees are not eaten; they are poisonous. Description of mushrooms:

The coral species has more than one name: Icy, White, Royal, Snowy, Gelatinous. Hymenophore is similar to white sea corals. Grows on woody substrate.
Shiitake, also known as Japanese Forest Mushroom, grows on dead wood. It looks like a Champignon, has a dark brown color with streaks on the cap. Growing up alone. It has high taste qualities.
Muer is popular in China, Vietnam, and Thailand. It grows on alder, has the shape of ears, the fruit body is thin and black. Juveniles have a pinkish color and transparent flesh. The species is also found in the Russian Far East.

More often supplied dried fruits– they are easier to transport and store. In addition, they retain the entire range of vitamins and microelements.

Useful properties and composition

Compound different types is different. But they all contain the following elements:

vitamin D;
calcium;
iron;
polysaccharides;
acids;
protein;
chitin;
phosphorus;
potassium.

The calorie content of the products is low. Coral mushroom is considered dietary product, it contains 70% fiber. In Shiitake there are only 34 kcal per 100 g, in Trutovik - 24 kcal. Any mushroom is indicated for weight loss because alimentary fiber cleanse the intestines, and chitin promotes satiety. The pulp is low in carbohydrates and high in protein, which is useful for gaining muscle mass.

Dried tree mushrooms have the same composition of vitamins. They should be pre-soaked before use. Considering vitamins and microelements, fruits are useful for:

Digestive and intestinal organs.
Blood vessels.
Works of the heart.
Brain, improve concentration and memory.
Strengthening the musculoskeletal system.
Protects the liver from toxins.
Lower cholesterol and sugar levels.

Scientists prove the benefits of mushrooms during radiation exposure, for the prevention of tumors and the treatment of diabetes. The snowy look is beneficial for smokers due to its nicotinic acid content. Muer is a unique protein fruit that prevents the occurrence of vitamin deficiency. Shiitake fruits are good for the respiratory system; in Chinese teaching they are considered regulators of positive Qi energy.

Contraindications

Tree mushrooms cause harm:

children under 14 years of age due to the chitin content;
people with individual intolerance, including allergy sufferers;
patients with digestive problems, which makes it impossible to digest and assimilate mushrooms.

Most of the species are produced at enterprises, so there is no need to worry about poisoning from such fruits. It is important to follow the instructions for use and storage. When collecting tinder fungi, the same precautions are taken as when collecting ordinary forest species. Dried tree mushrooms should not be bought secondhand.

Use in cooking and medicine

Chinese tradition has long used Muer, Shiitake, and Tinder to prepare soups, side dishes and other dishes. The coral variety is added to sauces and also eaten in fried: it has a pleasant crunchy structure and unusual taste. Dried tree mushrooms are boiled, the water is squeezed out and left in canned peach syrup.

In medicine, lentian is obtained from Shiitake, which is the basis of commercial drugs in Japan. In Chinese folk medicine prepare tinctures, ointments, dry powders and extracts from dried Polypore. Muer tinctures are known for their anti-inflammatory and healing properties.

In cosmetology, white coral species are used to make skin creams:

moisturizing;
anti-aging;
anti-wrinkle cream.

Nowadays in European countries they pay special attention to cosmetology and medicinal properties product. There are also exotic ways to use these organisms. The violinist Stradivarius made himself unique musical instruments from wood that was depleted tree mushrooms, so it conducted sound better.