October 30, 2014

Mushroom Preferences/きのこの好み

In Japan, matsutake is highly prized for its aroma, and hon shimeji (Lyophyllum shimeji) for its flavor, as implied by this well-known saying: Kaori (or nioi) matsutake aji shimeji. Translation: In aroma (odor), matsutake is the best; in flavor, hon shimeji is the best. Note that in this saying, shimeji refers to hon-shimeji NOT any other shimeji mushroom such as buna shimeji. Hon shimeji is rich in guanylic acidglutamic acidaspartic acid, and other umami components.
日本では、マツタケがその香りで、ホンシメジがその味で珍重されています。「香り(または「匂い」)松茸、味しめじ」という有名な諺があります。香り(匂い)においては、マツタケが一番で、味においては、ホンシメジが一番という意味です。この諺の「しめじ」とはホンシメジのことで、ブナシメジなど他のシメジではありません。ホンシメジはグアニル酸、グルタミン酸、アスパラギン酸など、うま味成分に富んでいます。

Because it's a mycorrhizal fungus, hon shimeji cannot be "artificially cultured" (i.e., factory-produced). In 1999, however, Takara Bio succeeded in its artificial cultivation. The photo below shows boxes of hon shimeji produced by Takara Bio and sold by Yukiguni Maitake in 2007.
ホンシメジは菌根菌(きんこんきん)なので、「人工栽培」(工場生産)はできないのですが、1999年、タカラバイオがその人工栽培に成功しました。次の写真は、2007年にタカラバイオが生産し雪国まいたけが発売した本しめじです。 
6 small pieces for 1,000 yen. I got one from a stall set up in an event. For more, visit this thread on eGullet.
小さなのが6個で1,000円。或るイベントでの売店で買いました。詳しくはeGulletのこのスレッドを参照してください。 
Foil yaki
ホイル焼き
We were not very much fascinated by the flavor. Wild ones should be much different from the cultured.
あまり味に感動しませんでした。天然物は栽培物とかなり違うと思いますが。

The Takara Bio-and-Yukiguni Maitake partnership seems to have been dissolved. Takara Bio now produces hon shimeji, under the name of Daikoku Hon Shimeji, with different partners, as described here. The price has reduced considerably (around 600 yen per 100 g), but is still higher than those of other cultured mushrooms.
タカラバイオと雪国まいたけの提携は解消したみたいです。タカラバイオは今では別のパートナーと大黒本しめじという名前でホンシメジを生産しています。価格はかなり下がりました(100 gで600円程度)が、まだ他の栽培きのこより高いです。


Yamasa, a soy sauce manufacturer, also succeeded in the artificial cultivation of hon shimeji, but seems to have discontinued it now.
ヤマサ(醤油メーカー)もホンシメジの人工栽培に成功しましたが、今では製造中止しているようです。
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It is interesting to note that mushroom preferences vary from one prefecture to another, from one region to another, and so on.
In Tochigi prefecture, chichitake (Lactifluus volemus) is very popular. In this prefecture, chichitake and similar species are called chitake, and are put in soba and udon dishes. Wild domestic chitake can be more expensive than wild domestic matsutake!
面白いことに、きのこの好みは、県、地域などにより異なります。
栃木県では、チチタケがとても好まれています。この県では、チチタケとその近縁種はチタケと呼ばれ、そばやうどんに入れます。天然の国産のチタケは天然の国産の松茸より高価になることもあります。
Images of chitake soba udon/チタケ そば うどんの画像 

In Nagano prefecture in the main land and in Hokkaido, hana iguchi (Suillus grevillei) is very popular. In Nagano prefecture, it's called jikobou, jikoubou, rikobou, or ricoubou; and in Hokkaido, it's called rakuyou.
本州の長野県や北海道では、ハナイグチがとても好まれています。長野県では、ジコボウ、ジコウボウ、リコボウ、リコウボウと呼ばれ、北海道では、ラクヨウと呼ばれます。

In prefectures facing the Sea of Japan, amitake (Suillus bovinus) is very popular.
日本海に面する県では、アミタケがとても好まれています。

In Japan, the three mushrooms popular in Europe, chanterelle, cep, and morel, are NOT popular. Some say that these mushrooms do not fit Japanese cuisine. I can't confirm whether this is true because I have never tasted any of them. (I have found one blogger who says that chanterelle miso soup tastes good.)
日本では、欧州で好まれる3種類のきのこ、シャンテレル、ヤマドリタケ、モレルは好まれません。これらのきのこは和食には合わないと言う人もいます。私としてはどれも食べたことがないので、確認のしようがありません(シャンテレル茸の味噌汁は美味しいと言うブロガーを見つけました)。


Forgot to mention that here in the Uonuma region of Niigata prefecture, amandare (naratake in Standard Japanese) or honey mushroom is very popular.
言い忘れましたが、新潟県の魚沼地方では、アマンダレ(標準語ではナラタケ)がとても好まれています。

2 comments:

Sissi said...

Very interesting post!
I can swear that chanterelle is perfect in chawan mushi! I have had it dozens of times and it's always as good as the first time.
I have never been a huge fan of morels though.
Ceps might be too strong for the Japanese cuisine indeed, but, my husband says matsutake have much stronger aroma (he was the lucky one to taste them); so if you serve ceps with omuraisu and omit the ketchup, if would be heavenly... just like chanterelles! (But omuraisu is youshoku, isn't it? ) In France (and other countries too I think), mushrooms are often served in an omelette.

Hiroyuki said...

Sissi: I wish I could have some chanterelles. I once checked the prices of imported dried chanterelles, only to find that they were simply exorbitant!