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    Mushrooms in Japan

    One thing that I recently began to appreciate more about Japanese cuisine is the long list of mushrooms found in many of the dishes served on a regular basis. More than just the ubiquitous portabello mushrooms found in most grocery stores in America, Japanese grocers often stock several different kinds of mushrooms. These vary in flavor and texture and are often grown locally in connection to the season. I have no idea what these would be called in English, but many of the names are as is.

    Shitake: Probably the most well known Japanese mushroom, which accompanies soups and meats in the usual manner. These are even sold in the US in many grocery stores next to the portabellos. Home growing these has been a popular custom for a long time. They even sell cultivation supplies in most hardware stores during the winter and you can often see the logs growing mushroom crops in nearby forests. Health-wise, these have been implicated in immune modulation and improved resistance to pathogens, like influenza. More so, some of the first statin cholesterol reducing agents were isolated from mushrooms like these. These compounds, such a lovastatin and mevastatin, are inhibitors of the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase, which in effect block the synthesis of cholesterol. These have become billion dollar drugs for the pharmaceutical industry and are used to treat heart disease and hyperlipidemia.



    Matsutake: are one of the most prized mushrooms in Japan. These are so sought after that the best of the Japanese production can go for 2000$/Kg and they are one of the few remaining trade commodities left with North Korea since the recent economic embargoes. It is said that before their cultivation was figured out, natural growth spots were carefully guarded family secrets worth killing for. This mushroom has a festival associated with its production in Aichi prefecture. In one of the major production towns, they set up a street-long hibachi grill where you can grill your own matsutake. These kind of have a richer flavor than shitake and more of that wonderful 'overturned earth' smell associated with them. They are also considered a medicinal tonic for a variety of ailments, which may yet be shown to have actual merit.



    Maitake: These mushrooms are often found in soups or grilled as is. They are pale grey with dark line edges at the ends and resemble an handful of crumpled up newspapers. Tokyo University has had a lot of research grants go towards elucidating the contents of Japanese mushrooms and these are no exception, as they have been noted for some of the same immune modulative abilities as shitake (etc).



    Enoki: These are thin white and stringy mushrooms found in many kinds of soup. They are a common ingredient in miso soups and nabe-style dishes. They are also found in many side dishes accompanying fish and other vegetables.



    Eringi: these mushrooms are pale grey with a brown cap, somewhat resembling a super mario tower mushroom. These are found in soups, grilled, cooked in oil or eaten along with yakiniku style barbeque. These kind are my favorites. The meaty, rubbery texture and interesting odor make then a great compliment to meat and soup. More mass also means fuller stomach.



    Reishi: Not just for food, but Asian culture has long recognized the medicinal application of these mushrooms. Reishi with humorous hyperbolic names such as: 'supernatural mushroom', 'ten thousand year mushroom' and 'immortality mushroom' is not to be taken lightly. These have been used in TCM for thousands of years and were one of the main ingredients in ancient Daoist immortality potions. Much like the above, these shrooms contain a long list of beneficial compounds and have been implicated in early studies to have antitumor, immunotherapeutic, antiviral and cholesterol reducing properties. TCM proponents have long advertised that one of its benefits is a lack of side effects, which time will tell what secrets these bad boys contain. Though expensive, extracts are very bitter and usually prepared as tea or mixed with other things to denude its bitterness. Extracts are sometimes also sold in pill form, as well.

    Comment


      That's too funny. Yeah that first pic is kinda, meh.
      Sorry hasty search but i wanted to get one from the right place.
      I have noticed Nihon-jin in some pretty out of the way places, so that explains it a bit.

      I've searched high and low, to no avail for the Fukuro locally.
      It's probably available in one of the restaurants, shochu themed nights are pretty popular.


      Love the mushrooms.
      We have a local fresh supplier that does a decent product, but nothing like that...
      I think almost every family here has some form of mushroom immortality drink in a back cupboard, that the kids dare each other to drink but none ever do.

      So back to business!!!

      Apparently this is playing locally, i will be seeing this perhaps as soon as today.
      No doubt it will inspire a vigorous round of raw fish consumption.
      Enjoy!

      Comment


        Originally posted by ChenPengFi View Post
        That's too funny. Yeah that first pic is kinda, meh. Sorry hasty search but i wanted to get one from the right place. I have noticed Nihon-jin in some pretty out of the way places, so that explains it a bit. I've searched high and low, to no avail for the Fukuro locally. It's probably available in one of the restaurants, shochu themed nights are pretty popular.
        Yeah, they love Hawaii here. The Kamehameha from street fighter, lilo and stitch, they even have Hawaiian themed resort parks around. One of the most famous of these was in the blocked off zone around Fukushima. The hula dance girls (and fire stick guys) tour Japan now as a reminder of ...I don't know, peace, or something. They were down here last month.

        Speaking of Souchu:



        A selection of souchu from all over japan. Souchu is made mainly from potatoes and rice, but also has some special varieties made from things like soba, buckwheat, chestnuts and cane sugar. Most of those kinds are provincial specialties. Kyuushu is generally known for potato souchu, but good examples made from rice are also nationally recognized. Northern regions, like Akita, are typically known for their rice souchu, as these are some of the largest rice producing regions in Japan.


        Love the mushrooms.
        We have a local fresh supplier that does a decent product, but nothing like that...
        I think almost every family here has some form of mushroom immortality drink in a back cupboard, that the kids dare each other to drink but none ever do.
        You should try it and let me know of any changes. As far as immortality drinks are concerned, the only effect it had on me was 'pitching a tent', which got me thrown out of a bar once.

        Apparently this is playing locally, i will be seeing this perhaps as soon as today. No doubt it will inspire a vigorous round of raw fish consumption.
        Enjoy!
        I hope so. I want to see it, too and probably can as its somethign that seems like they'd want to show here.

        I actually just got back from Tokyo yesterday. We went all over the place, but we didn't actually go to Tsukiji this time. One place we did go, however, was Ameyoko near Ueno Park. This is one of my all time favorite places in Tokyo. Vendors sell all kinds of goodies, like nuts, dried fruit, fresh fish, candy, shoes, hats and clothes. The best thing is that you can haggle with them over the price and most stores make a show of selling and heckling the potential customers. This is part of the experience and the fun of the area.

        One of the most interesting places is this small donburi shop that sells a huge selection of kaisen donburi for ultra low prices. Generally, for around 800~1000 yen (less than 10$) you can choose from about 50 different kinds of donburi. Aside from the selection, the amount of fish is the most striking feature: There is more fish than rice. Seating is limited and there is often a line, but its worth it. (The takoyaki place next door is also quite good, if you like it.)


        Entrance to the alley and the hustle and bustle contained within.


        Fresh fruit.



        Nuts to you!...errr--for you, I mean.


        I have it on good authority that this is the most famous sweets shop in all of Japan.



        I was going to take a picture, but the food vaporized before my very eyes! (It was popular #6: Salmon toro, Uni and salmon roe)

        Comment


          Originally posted by jubei33 View Post
          One place we did go, however, was Ameyoko near Ueno Park. This is one of my all time favorite places in Tokyo. Vendors sell all kinds of goodies, like nuts, dried fruit, fresh fish, candy, shoes, hats and clothes. The best thing is that you can haggle with them over the price and most stores make a show of selling and heckling the potential customers. This is part of the experience and the fun of the area.
          i stay very near ueno park when i visit every year, and love ameyoko. one of the most interesting shopping areas in tokyo for sure.

          there's a small sushi place called "kappa sushi" tucked away in that area, you should check it out next time, tiny place and great sushi. i was the only gaijin and got a lot of stares from the mostly salaryman clientele.

          Comment


            Rolls are not recommended before hang gliding
            Now darkness comes; you don't know if the whales are coming. - Royce Gracie


            KosherKickboxer has t3h r34l chi sao

            In De Janerio, in blackest night,
            Luta Livre flees the fight,
            Behold Maeda's sacred tights;
            Beware my power... Blue Lantern's light!

            Comment


              Originally posted by Matt Phillips View Post
              Rolls are not recommended before hang gliding
              You would recommend food of any kind before hang gliding?

              Sent from my BlackBerry 9650 using Tapatalk

              Comment


                Originally posted by jwilde88 View Post
                You would recommend food of any kind before hang gliding?
                Google Rolls Gracie
                Now darkness comes; you don't know if the whales are coming. - Royce Gracie


                KosherKickboxer has t3h r34l chi sao

                In De Janerio, in blackest night,
                Luta Livre flees the fight,
                Behold Maeda's sacred tights;
                Beware my power... Blue Lantern's light!

                Comment


                  How much sushi do you have to eat, in order to not be hungry again in 5 minutes?

                  Comment


                    The takoyaki place next door is also quite good, if you like it.
                    I do, and this is one of the those little things i love about Japan.

                    Obviously "Takoyaki maker" isn't a real prestigious position, yet the skill and pride some of them take in the craft of what amounts to fast food is truly impressive.
                    Watching them turn all those tako-balls like an airport flip-sign still blows my mind.
                    (Yes, i know, simple pleasures and all that...)


                    Oh and


                    Hahahaha....


                    In Hawai'i an increasingly rare delicacy is the Opihi, or limpet.


                    Found stuck on rocks in the surf line,

                    not only are they rare, but difficult and dangerous to harvest.
                    The Hawai'ian "folk tune" Opihi Man even has the chorus dedicated to escaping the surf while picking the little buggers.
                    You generally get one chance to pry them off, (screwdriver on da rocks, brah)
                    because they lock down too tight once disturbed.
                    I'd call them a cross between a small abalone and an oyster.
                    They are crunchy and the guts do squirt out in your mouth,
                    so of course they are best raw.

                    Comment


                      Heh, we have limpets on the rocky beaches here too. I wonder if they're edible?

                      Comment


                        Originally posted by Matt Phillips View Post
                        Google Rolls Gracie
                        I'm just gonna assume I should have kept up with the conversation to understand the reference to a JJ practitioner? They lost me when they started talking about mushrooms.

                        Sent from my BlackBerry 9650 using Tapatalk

                        Comment


                          Originally posted by jwilde88 View Post
                          They lost me when they started talking about mushrooms.
                          Mushrooms and getting lost often go together.

                          Comment


                            Originally posted by Cayvmann View Post
                            How much sushi do you have to eat, in order to not be hungry again in 5 minutes?
                            Science has an answer for you: It's actually proportional to the size of your fat ass. [/srs]


                            Originally posted by Ming Loyalist
                            there's a small sushi place called "kappa sushi" tucked away in that area, you should check it out next time, tiny place and great sushi.
                            I've never been there, but I'll be sure to check it out next time we go. Thanks for the recommendation.

                            Originally posted by ChenPengFi
                            Obviously "Takoyaki maker" isn't a real prestigious position, yet the skill and pride some of them take in the craft of what amounts to fast food is truly impressive.
                            Yeah, even at McDonalds to a degree. It kind of feels like you can have an ordinary job and not feel shit on by everyone. At least when they have the show where they get some snotty ass Paris Hilton kind of character doing some work, they actually expect them to do it and perform at it. A while back, they had some AKB-type girl do a day of farming, where she was pulling up daikon. She got through a row and she was all like "I'm so tired" and the farmer walks up and is like: "good job. Now pull op the rest of them, please" as he pointed to the field.

                            In Hawai'i an increasingly rare delicacy is the Opihi, or limpet
                            Those look good. Are these like grown as a crop or are they just taken where ever they grow?

                            Comment


                              Those look good. Are these like grown as a crop or are they just taken where ever they grow?
                              They need to be > 1.25 in. diameter, and a few areas are forbidden but you may harvest them all year.

                              The problem is where they live.
                              You gotta be quick!





                              There are no commercial farms yet, but the research is being done.
                              http://www.honolulumagazine.com/Hono...=7&siarticle=6

                              We do have abalone farms!
                              Those certainly look, um interesting, writhing in the market.
                              (huge image warning...)
                              http://earthboundtours.com/wp-conten...0/10/ebt-5.jpg

                              @ Permalost
                              As it's a filter feeder you might exercise caution.
                              They might be a different species too.

                              Comment


                                Originally posted by ChenPengFi View Post
                                @ Permalost
                                As it's a filter feeder you might exercise caution.
                                They might be a different species too.
                                True. We have both edible and inedible species of clams in the sand here.

                                Comment

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