My son and I went mushroom gathering yesterday. Actually, we went to three different mountains, trying to get the mushrooms that are in season around this time of the year. We only succeeded in finding some honey mushrooms, which are in season in spring and fall. Honey mushrooms are called naratake in Japanese, but here in Niigata, they are called amandare. We gathered some bracken fern shoots (warabi in Japanese) as well, some of which were huge!
昨日は、息子と二人でキノコ狩りに行きました。３つの山に行き、この時期に旬にあるキノコを探しました。結局は、春と秋に旬の「ナラタケ」を少し見つけただけでした。ナラタケは新潟ではアマンダレと呼ばれます。ワラビも少し採りましたが、中にはでかいのもありました。
Unlike ostrich fern fiddleheads (kogomi or kogome in Japanese), bracken fern shoots (warabi) require the process called aku nuki (harshness removal). I use the special chemical shown below, whose main ingredient is baking soda. You can use baking soda instead. In the old days, people used ash.
こごみ（こごめ）と異なり、ワラビはあく抜きという作業が必要です。私は特殊な薬品を使っていますが（主成分は重曹）、重曹を代わりに使うこともできます。昔は、灰を使っていました。
This morning, the shoots look like this:
今朝、ワラビはこんなになりました。
Drain, rinse, and soak in cold water for a few hours, drain, and put in the fridge or freezer.
水を切って、洗い、水に数時間漬け、水を切り、冷蔵庫または冷凍庫に入れます。
2 comments:
This week I visited Nikko, where mountain vegetables are a specialty (according to our hostel!). I didn't get a chance to buy any, though, as I didn't know what to look for. Now I know, thank you!
In Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, fern shoots (called fiddleheads) are a spring time delicacy.
Well, I'd say sansai (mountain vegetables, wild edible plants) are a specialty in almost any rural area.
As I said on eGullet, the sansai in snowy areas like mine are said to be good (contain less aku).
In late March, fukinoto (butterbur sprouts) herald the coming of spring in my area, followed by zenmai, kogomi, warabi, udo, kinome, etc. Small, long bamboo shoots are now in season!
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