GROWING GOURMET - Anto2ni.it

234 GROWTH PARAMETERS
Form of Product Sold to Market: Bunches of whitish to yellowish, long stemmed mushrooms are
usually shrink-wrapped and marketed in 3 or 5 oz. packages. Most of the Enoki available is brought
into this country from Japan.
Nutritional Content: Variable, influenced by substrate components.
Crude protein: 17-31%; fat 1.
9-5. 8%; fiber 3.7%; ash 7.4%.
Medicinal Properties: The water soluble,
is 80-100% effective against
Sarcoma 180 and Ehrlich carcinoma according to Ying (1987). An epidemiological study in Japan,
found a community of Enoki growers near the city of Nagano that had unusually low cancer rates.
Frequent Enoki consumption was thought to be the cause. Ilkekawa et al. (1968) reported anti-cancer
activity from extracts of this mushroom. Studies of the anti-tumor properties of this mushroom has
been published by Zeng et al. (1990) and Qingtian et al. (1991). The polysaccharide thought to be active
is commonly referred to as "FVP" for "Flammulina velutipes polysaccharide".
Flavor, Preparation & Cooking: This mushroom is surprisingly flavorful, including the stems, an
opinion not shared by Singer (1986). Traditionally, Enoki is lightly cooked, served in soups or in stir
fries with
fish, and chicken. The stems are often left long, thus posing some interesting
problems in swallowing. I prefer Enoki finely cut, almost diced, and then cooked at high heat for a
Figure 208 and 209. Flammulina velutipes, Enokitake, fruiting in bottles. Paper (or plastic) Is inserted within
the inside rim and helps concentrate carbon dioxide. The stems elongate in response, creating a crop that can
be easily harvested. The paper is removed to reveal clusters averaging 5-6 ounces (140-170 grams). Skilled
harvesters grasp mature mushroom
clusters and pull them out by hand. Residual substrate debris is trimmed
before the mushrooms are packaged for market.
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