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Maitake (Hen of the Woods) Grifola frondosa
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Southern Europe, Australia, North America. Can be cultivated.
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Late summer through fall
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Aromatic
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Oblong, tufted body; some say it bears a resemblance to a squatting hen with feathers spread out
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Grayish- to reddish-brown
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For sauces, as flavoring in dishes that require long, slow
cooking
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Matsutake Armillaria ponderosa
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Japan, Korea and the Pacific Northwest of the United States
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Late fall
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Robust, somewhat pine-flavored
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Fleshy, with rounded cap and central stem
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White cap with cinnamon-brown scales or stains
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Grilled; also widely used in Asian cuisine
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Morels Morchella spp.
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In northern Europe and many parts of North America
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Early to late spring; dried excellent substitute for fresh
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Earthy, rich, slightly nutty
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Hollow body and hollow, honeycombed head
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Black, golden-yellow or white
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Do not eat raw. Good grilled, sauteed or in sauces, or with
grilled or roasted food
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Nameko Pholiota nameko
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Japan
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This cultivated mushroom is available fresh year-round, but its
canned form is more often used.
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Rich, earthy
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Small, with a fleshy cap and central stem
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Range, from orange to amber to gold
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Standard ingredient in miso soup
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Oyster Pleurotus ostreatus
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Temperate regions worldwide
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Year-round; only cultivated available at height of summer
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Mild
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Small, similar to an oyster shell
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Blue, black, golden, white
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Stir-fried, in salads, sauteed
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Porcini (Cepe, Bolete) Boletus edulis
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Throughout North America and Europe, in South Africa and
Australia
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Late spring through early summer, then again in early fall. Dried acceptable substitute for fresh.
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Sweet and nutty
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Fleshy, with a central stalk and a pored surface (instead of gills) on the underside of the cap
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Light to dark brown, pale violet, red
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Grilled; good with pork or chicken; star ingredient in
risotto
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Porta Bella Agaricus bisporus
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Throughout Northern America
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Year-round; widely cultivated
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More woodsy than white button mushrooms, but still mild
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Similar to white button mushrooms
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Tan to brown
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Grilled, stuffed, as a meat substitute in hot sandwiches
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Shiitake (Oak mushroom) Lentinus edodes
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Japan, China, the United States
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All year round, widely cultivated; dried sometimes preferred over
fresh, especially in Chinese and Japanese cuisine.
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Rich, woodsy flavor; dried shiitake have even stronger flavor
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Umbrella shaped cap with central stalk
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Tan to dark brown
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In stir-fries and Asian dishes
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Straw (Paddy straw, Grass) Volvaria esculenta
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South Asia, including southern China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and
Malaysia
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Year-round (widely cultivated)
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Musty, earthy
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Small, with caps shaped like coolies' hats
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As it matures, changes from pale tan to charcoal gray
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In Asian cuisine
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Truffle Tuber melanosporum or magnatum
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Mid- to Southern Europe, especially France
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Fall and winter
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Rich, nutty
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Roundish, lumpy, with marbled flesh
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Black, white
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May be boiled, roasted, cooked in oil or wine; extremely
expensive, so most recipes call for very small amounts (one mushroom or less)
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White (Button, Cultivated White) Agaricus bisporus
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Cultivation only; believed to be a sport of the brown
Agaricus
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Year-round (look for mushrooms whose caps have not yet opened)
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Mild, woodsy
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Fleshy cap with sturdy stem
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Ranges from beige to white
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Raw in salads, sauteed, in sauces, or marinated
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Woodear Auricularia polytricha
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Asia
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dried often preferred in Chinese cuisine
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Mild
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Fungus shaped like a small, slightly concave "ear" growing off tree branches and trunks
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Brown
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Extensively used in Chinese cuisine; good in soups,
vegetable dishes
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