”This lovely frost hardy fungus has been out and about the last few weeks. Many call this “wild enoki” as they were considered the same species as Enokitake (or enoki) in this part of the world up until fairly recently. Studies and DNA sequencing have distinguished the two but I imagine the name “wild enoki” will stick around and why not the resemblance is clear once you understand the process shop bought Enokitake goes through to be what it is known the shelves.
GeorgeFlavour Fred
Enokitake (Flammulina filiformis) is commercially grown in an environment similar to how we force rhubarb being starved of light but also CO2 right. So the long white “enoki” you may have had in ramens and various other ways are of the same family. It’s a big business!
Obviously I’d like to gather the wild variety with its orange/brown cap that’s dense and always says pickle me. The gills are adnate starting off white but as it ages they go pale yellow/peach and mailable. The stipe (stem) goes from a pale yellow to dark brown/black with age and as the name suggests it has a smooth velvety feel. It tends to grow on dead/dying deciduous wood and as you can see clusters considerably. It is mildly nutty and for that reason choice in many dishes like stir-fry, noodle dishes, ramen, soba, seaweed wrapped & Bbq’d just to name a few. The risks of this one is mistaking it for The Funeral Bell (Galerina marginata – deadly with the same toxins as the Death Cap), The Sulphur Tuft (Hypholoma fasciculare) & The Common Rustgill, Gymnopilus, penetrans. Go check them out before thinking about gathering this one. Pickling solution is 1 part water 1 part ACV (@willysacv). I boil the water and cook the mushrooms in that. Pour the vinegar on top and add a good pinch of salt and sugar and other aromatics if you want to add more flavour in there.
