What is edible mushroom? What properties does such a product have? Edible or not mushroom flake? What are its varieties? Is cultivation of flakes edible at home possible? All this will be discussed in our publication.
General information
Outwardly, the edible flake, the photo of which can be seen in our article, practically does not differ from the mushrooms that are familiar to all of us.
The fungus belongs to the category of saprophytes that develop on the trunks of rotting plants. Colonies feed on prepared organic compounds, which are formed as a result of decomposition of woody tissues.
The body of the edible flake is small. Hats are capable of reaching sizes of the order of 10 centimeters in diameter. In young mushrooms, they have a hemispherical shape. As the hat grows, it flattenes. Its surface is smooth, covered with mucus, has a yellowish, brown or brownish tint. The edges of the cap are turned inward.
Edible flake, photo and description of which is considered in our publication, has a yellowish flesh. Over time, it acquires a brownish tint. The pulp has a dense structure. The taste and aroma of such a mushroom is indefinite, rather weak, unexpressed.
The edible flake has a cylindrical pedicle that can grow up to 5-8 centimeters in length and reach one and a half centimeters in diameter. It contains a membrane ring that is characteristic of the genus of fungi that rises to the head.
Habitat
Edible flakes peak at the beginning of autumn, when warm and moderately humid weather is observed.
Such mushrooms form tight colonies on felled, rotting trees, and breed on deadwood, all kinds of stumps and snags.
Flakes are widespread in almost all provinces of China, as well as in Taiwan and Japan. On the territory of Russia, the presented variety of the fungus does not occur. To assess the quality of the product, domestic consumers have to buy edible pickled flakes in cans or resort to artificial cultivation.
Varieties
The genus of flakes is about one and a half hundred species. Of these, several dozen grow in domestic latitudes.
The most common representatives of the species include the following mushrooms:
- edible golden scale;
- ordinary;
- destructive flake;
- alder;
- flake of fire;
- cinder;
- flake gummy.
The above varieties of the fungus have a similar morphological structure, the same way of nutrition, similar beneficial properties and chemical composition.
Structure
Edible flake (pholiota nameko) possesses not only excellent taste, but also the highest nutritional value.
The composition of the fungus is rich in sugars, fats, proteins, peptides and amino acids. The use of such a product helps to saturate the body with vitamins C, B1, B2, E, PP. There is also a whole mass of irreplaceable trace elements, in particular magnesium, calcium, iron, phosphorus. Among other varieties of the fungus, flake edible leads in terms of potassium content.
Beneficial features
Are flakes edible and how do such fungi affect the human body? To use the product is not only possible, but also necessary. Eastern folk healers note that eating a mushroom helps strengthen immunity, lower sugar levels, and stabilize blood pressure. Moreover, the use of flakes has a stimulating effect on the bloodstream, increases hemoglobin.
The active substances in the composition of such fungi are characterized by antimicrobial action, inhibit the vital activity of pathogens of viral and bacterial infections. With regular use of the product, normalization of sleep occurs, the feeling of chronic fatigue is eliminated, headaches and muscle pains disappear. Eating such mushrooms in eastern medicine is often practiced in order to prevent cardiovascular ailments.
Extracts that are isolated from the fruiting bodies of the fungus are used to develop cancer drugs. As the results of laboratory studies show, testing of such drugs in experimental mice allowed to stop the development of sarcoma in 86% of cases.
Cooking methods
Edible flake can be prepared in a variety of ways.
Oriental healers often dry such mushrooms, grind and use the formed powder to create all kinds of medicinal tinctures. Ordinary consumers boil the fresh product in salt water. After this heat treatment, the mushrooms can be fried, stewed, used as a filling for pies and an ingredient in hodgepodge soups. Hats of flakes are often prepared, since after boiling the legs get a rigid and somewhat depleted structure.
Edible Canned Flake
The defining property of the fungus is its short-term storage. Without heat treatment, such a product deteriorates rather quickly. Unlike traditional honey agarics, flakes are not frozen. Instead, the fungus is preserved.
On the shelves of domestic stores, the mushroom can be found salted in glass or tin cans. On sale, the product is often presented under the name "Japanese mushrooms."
Canned flakes are used to make soups, broths, salads and cold snacks. The consistency of such mushrooms usually seems rather unusual to the domestic consumer. After all, the marinade used has an extremely slippery, viscous structure. However, in Japan and China, which are the main suppliers of the product to the Russian market, it is precisely this increased “slipperyness” of mushrooms that is valued.
Mushroom cultivation
The edible mushroom, the photo of which is presented in the publication, can be cultivated at home.
As a "seed" material, live or dried mycelium is used. It can be purchased packed in plastic bags. Mushroom is grown on wet sawdust and plant debris. In order to cultivate edible flakes of mycelium, act as follows:
- Fill dense packets in advance with a substrate, which can be used as a mixture of sawdust, hay and straw. Such raw materials are poured with boiled water and sealed.
- Once the steamed substrate has cooled, it is thoroughly mixed with mycelium of the fungus. To do this, use one package of about 40 kilograms of plant residues.
- A number of incisions are made over the entire area of the package, about 3-5 centimeters in size.
- The resulting blocks for the cultivation of the fungus are suspended in a room where there is an increased level of humidity or laid out in a shady garden.
- At first, fluffy layers are formed on the substrate. Then the plant debris is completely covered with a yellowish or white coating. After a few weeks, the rudiments of the body of the mushrooms form, for the active growth of which requires access to light.
- In places where edible flakes grow, cuts of the sacs are performed. The crop appears in waves, between which breaks occur in 2-3 weeks. Abundant fruiting is observed at the very beginning, after which it decreases several times.
Storage
Freshly collected flakes are stored in the refrigerator. In this case, it is necessary to heat the mushrooms during the day.
Indeed, otherwise the product will quickly deteriorate and become unusable. Pickled flakes must be kept in a cool, dark place where the temperature is maintained, not exceeding 15 ° C. At the same time, the container with mushrooms should be kept away from moisture sources.
Warnings
In fact, flakes belong to the category of conditionally edible mushrooms. Such a formulation should understand the need for preliminary preparation of the product for use. To process the mushroom, it is enough to boil it for a little more than half an hour, periodically draining the water. Ignoring these actions can lead to the most unforeseen consequences. The use of flakes in unprepared form often causes serious toxicological poisoning, which is accompanied by attacks of headache, nausea and vomiting.
