Shimeji

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Asian mushrooms, clockwise from left, enokitake, buna-shimeji, bunapi-shimeji, king oyster mushroom and shiitake (front).

Shimeji (ja:シメジ, 占地) is a group of edible mushrooms native to East Asia. Hon-shimeji (Lyophyllum shimeji) is a mycorrhizal fungi (similar to matsutake, porcini and truffle) and difficult to cultivate, while others are saprotroph and buna-shimeji is now widely cultivated. Shimeji is rich in umami taste such as guanylic acid, glutamic acid, and aspartic acid.^[1]

1 Species
2 Cooking
3 See also
4 References
5 External links

[edit] 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^[2] and Yamasa,^[3] and the cultivated hon-shimeji is available from several manufacturers in Japan.^[4]^[5]

Velvet pioppini (dried)

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.^[6] 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 Hokuto Corporation.^[7]^[8]

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

[edit] Cooking

The Shimeji should always be cooked, it is not a good mushroom to serve raw. When raw this mushroom has a somewhat bitter taste; the bittereness 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.