Chinese mushrooms identified
Several varieties of Chinese mushrooms are sold dried in Chinese script packages. But which should you use for what?
The Anglicising of the most common names below will explain what they are and help you ask for them phonetically.
Muk yi - dried wood ears, which need to be soaked then thoroughly washed to remove grit. They offer little taste but good crunch.
Suk yi - white sponge-like snow ears, which swell to twice their size after an hour's soak and are served stewed with a sugar syrup for dessert.
Dung gu - Chinese floral mushrooms, with flower patterns on their caps. They are chewy and densely woodsy in flavor.
Soak all dried mushrooms - whether Chinese or Italian (porcini) or French (ceps, which is the French word for porcini, morels and more) in warm water and make sure to line a sieve with paper towel and drain them through to catch any sand that may have been dried with them. Discard the paper but not the water which will have strong flavor. Use this, if not in the recipe, in a soup or stew to add a musky depth to its taste.Related Ingredients...
Chinese mushroomsChinese restaurants
Mushrooms - fresh
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