Editor’s note:
Mushrooms are highly nutritious and can help with anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. Cooking mushrooms can be intricate, and this article discusses the cooking essentials of mushrooms from a scientific perspective: Can you eat mushrooms that have grown hair? How to release the umami flavor contained in mushrooms? Why do vegetarians use mushrooms as a meat substitute? What to do when mushrooms absorb a lot of oil when stir-frying? Let Dr. Chi tell you.
Q1: Can you eat mushrooms that have grown hair in this picture?
A: To determine if mushrooms are moldy or have mycelium.
If something is moldy, it should not be eaten. However, in the picture, the mushrooms have grown hair, which is not mold but mycelium and can be eaten.
It is not easy to distinguish between mold and mycelium, so if you are unsure, the safest option is to throw it away and not eat it.
Mushrooms are the fruiting bodies that grow on mycelium, similar to the relationship between a fruit tree and its fruit.
After picking mushrooms, mycelium might regrow, just like the mushroom in the picture. If the mushroom itself is not black or wrinkled, has no strange smell, feels firm, not sticky, especially if the hair that grows is pure white, it is likely mycelium and the mushroom is still fresh and can be eaten.
If the mushroom is black, has a bad smell, feels sticky, and the hair that grows has colors, then it is definitely moldy and should not be eaten, like the mushroom with black spots in the picture.
Q2: Mushrooms are delicious, and vegetarians often use them as a meat substitute. Which of the following statements is incorrect?
a. Similar chemical properties to shrimp
b. Juicy texture
c. Rich in natural umami
d. Small mushrooms are tastier than large ones
A: “Small mushrooms are tastier than large ones” is incorrect.
In theory, large mushrooms are tastier than small ones – the correct statement is “opened umbrellas are tastier than unopened ones”. Similar to the ripening of fruits, when the mushroom cap opens, it has a particularly rich flavor and higher nutritional value, which most people find tastier. While unopened mushrooms are more tender, some people prefer this texture.
Using mushrooms as a meat substitute by vegetarians has scientific reasoning behind it.
Firstly, mushrooms have many pores in their structure, which are good at absorbing water, with about 80-90% being water, giving them a meaty texture. Once the water in the mushrooms evaporates, they become flat, explaining why stale mushrooms easily wrinkle.
Moreover, mushrooms contain chitin, or chitosan, similar to the shells of shrimps and crabs. When chitosan is heated, it produces a wonderful aroma.
Additionally, mushrooms are high in protein and vitamin content and rich in free amino acids. Amino acids are the source of umami, making mushrooms very flavorful.
In general, mushrooms have very high nutritional value. Besides high protein and vitamin content, they are rich in fiber, aiding in solving constipation issues. Many mushrooms contain various antioxidants that help with anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties.
Q3: To make mushrooms taste delicious, which of the following is essential?
a. Blanche first
b. Avoid washing with water
c. Must fry until fragrant
A: Frying until fragrant is essential.
Option b, avoiding washing mushrooms entirely, is not entirely wrong. Mushrooms have a distinct aroma, especially high-value fungi like truffles. Many people recommend not rinsing them, as it may diminish their aroma. High-end restaurants typically do not wash mushrooms but use a dry cloth to preserve the aroma.
Mushrooms have about 80-90% water content, so rinsing them slightly may not have a significant impact on the flavor.
Frying mushrooms until fragrant is a widely accepted cooking technique because mushrooms contain chitin. As mentioned earlier, like roasting shrimp heads or crab shells to extract amazing flavors, the same principle can be applied to mushroom dishes. For example, roasting shiitake mushrooms until fragrant then adding them to bonito broth results in a delicious flavor!
However, frying mushrooms until fragrant can lead to a problem: they absorb a lot of oil. As discussed, the structure of mushrooms is thread-like and absorbs a significant amount of oil, similar to eggplants. This explains why when frying mushrooms, they keep absorbing oil, no matter how much is added.
To reduce the calorie intake from mushrooms, add a bit of water while frying them. Using steam to cook them slightly will prevent them from absorbing too much oil. Once cooked, fry them until fragrant.
Regarding option a, blanching first, this method is favored in many Chinese dishes. Fungi such as button mushrooms, white mushrooms, and shiitake mushrooms have high oxalic acid content, which has a sour and slightly unpleasant taste. Blanched before stir-frying with other ingredients, the sour taste is reduced, but the aroma diminishes.
【Reader’s Feedback】
Readers suggest techniques for frying mushrooms until fragrant or preventing them from absorbing too much oil.
– Reader: The structure of mushrooms is similar to a sponge, absorbing liquids extensively. Steam or roast them first to destroy the sponge-like structure, then fry them until fragrant.
– Reader: Put mushrooms directly in a dry pan without adding oil. They will release a lot of water, cook until the water evaporates, and fry them until brown (aromatic), then add seasoning.
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