A mushroom is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or on its food source. While there are many varieties that are toxic and highly poisonous, there are also many which are edible. Edible mushrooms are used extensively in cooking in many cuisines like Chinese, European and Japanese. Some are quite tasty and highly priced. The Philippines being a tropical country has many varieties providing inexpensive food source as they usually appear over night in some backyards, farms and forest. During my childhood, mushroom hunting in the early morning has been one of my worthwhile weekend activities.
Though mushrooms are commonly thought to have little nutritional value, many species are high in fiber and provide vitamins such as thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, biotin and ascorbic acid. Mushrooms are also a source of some minerals, including selenium, potassium and phosphorus. Though not normally a significant source of vitamin D, some mushrooms can become considerable sources after exposure to ultraviolet light,
Most mushrooms that are sold in the farmer’s markets or supermarkets now have been commercially grown on farms. That’s why finding wild mushroom from our own backyard is such a wonderful moment for me. Though not many, the wild mushroom is enough to provide a special vegetable dish for me and hopefully some of my friends here. So right now, these are gorgeous:
Most mushrooms that are sold in the farmer’s markets or supermarkets now have been commercially grown on farms. That’s why finding wild mushroom from our own backyard is such a wonderful moment for me. Though not many, the wild mushroom is enough to provide a special vegetable dish for me and hopefully some of my friends here. So right now, these are gorgeous:
To maximize the not so many mushrooms we have harvested, I decided to cook them in soup form complemented by ridge gourd which for whatever reason is a perfect match for wild mushrooms. This one of the family dish we only enjoyed occasionally, from months of October to November, in the Philippines.
For the 5 pieces of mushrooms, we need about 2 pcs young ridge gourd (“patola”), peeled and sliced to ½ inc thick, 5 gloves of garlic, peeled and crushed, about 1 tsp of salt or to taste and 1 tsp ground pepper.
For the 5 pieces of mushrooms, we need about 2 pcs young ridge gourd (“patola”), peeled and sliced to ½ inc thick, 5 gloves of garlic, peeled and crushed, about 1 tsp of salt or to taste and 1 tsp ground pepper.
To cook, simply pour about 4-5 cups of water in a small sauce pan or casserole and let it boil on high heat. Lower the heat to medium and place the garlic, followed by the mushroom. Simmer until the mushroom is just cooked. Add the gourd and season with salt to bring out that special taste.
Hi there! May I use one of the mushroom photos above? The one in the plate... Sorry I can't wait for your reply. You can take a look at it on my blog.
ReplyDeleteCredits will be yours and my blog is personal. It's not a food bloggie. Can't find a photo thru the net that looks exactly like yours.
Thank you so much!
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I like this:
"Some of the greatest fulfillment in life comes from successfully dealing problems you thought you can never handle." - Very, very true!
Hi Lisa, thanks for informing me. I guess it is not really a problem. Thanks for visiting the website. :-)
ReplyDeleteamazing!
ReplyDeleteHere in palawan, we have tons of those just growing everywhere.
can you give more recipes plsss!
hi hurt, thanks for visiting, I have several recipes here using wild mushroom, my favorite veggie, i will try to post more ..... :)
ReplyDeleteHi, I'm planning to conduct a research regarding with wild mushroom here in the Philippines, the problem is i don't know what is the name of this wild mushroom? Do you know what is the name of this mushroom?
ReplyDeleteIn our dialect it is U-ung.
Is this seasonal?
Such great photos. For something that is a fungus, they are really quite pretty!
ReplyDeletemagic mushroom kits