Zhuxun Bamboo Fungus

Zhuxun Bamboo Fungus

　　Common names include bamboo ginseng, bamboo fungus, veil mushroom, netted mushroom, and bamboo maiden. Bamboo fungus belongs to the class Gasteromycetes, order Phallales, family Phallaceae, and genus Dictyophora.

　　Bamboo fungus is a type of cryptogamic fungus that parasitizes the roots of dead bamboo. Its shape is somewhat similar to dried white snake skin with a net-like texture. It has a deep green cap, a snow-white cylindrical stipe, and a pinkish egg-shaped volva. At the top of the stipe, there is a delicate, pure white lacy skirt that spreads downward from the cap, making the entire fungus appear exceptionally elegant, vibrantly colored, rare, and precious. It is often referred to as the “Snow Skirt Fairy,” “Flower of Mountain Delicacies,” “Flower of Fungi,” or “Queen of Fungi.” Bamboo fungus is rich in nutrients, has a strong aroma, and a delicious taste. Since ancient times, it has been listed as one of the “Eight Rare Grasses.”

　　The base mycelium of the bamboo fungus connects to bamboo rhizomes and dead bamboo roots. The long-skirted bamboo fungus mostly grows in high-temperature and high-humidity regions, while the short-skirted bamboo fungus of the same genus tends to grow in warm and humid environments. Basidiospores germinate to form mycelium, which obtains nutrients by decomposing organic matter such as decaying bamboo. Upon entering the reproductive growth stage, the mycelium forms numerous hyphal cords, which swell at their tips to develop into knot-like primordia. Under suitable conditions, after over a month of growth, the primordia form mushroom buttons resembling eggs. When the tip of the button bulges like a peach shape, it usually cracks open on a sunny morning, first revealing the cap, followed by the extension of the stipe. By noon, when the stipe reaches a certain height, its growth stops, and the lacy skirt gradually unfolds downward from under the cap. When the relative humidity of the air is 95%, the skirt develops normally. Lower temperatures and insufficient humidity prevent the skirt from unfurling properly. Between 4–5 PM, the basidiospores on the cap mature and begin to autolyze, dripping onto the ground, while the entire fruiting body withers and collapses.

　　The young basidiocarp button has a spherical shape with three layers of covering: the outer covering is thin, smooth, grayish-white or light brownish-red; the middle layer is gelatinous; the inner covering is tough and fleshy. Upon maturity, the covering splits open, and the stipe pushes the cap out. The stipe is hollow, 15–20 cm tall, white, and its exterior consists of sponge-like pores. The remnants of the covering stay at the lower part of the stipe to form the volva. The cap grows at the top of the stipe in a bell shape, with an uneven, grid-like surface where the indentations are densely packed with basidiospores. Beneath the cap is a white lacy veil that hangs down like a skirt, extending over 8 cm. The spores are smooth, transparent, oval-shaped, measuring 3–3.5 × 1.5–2 μm.

　　Bamboo fungus is a precious edible mushroom and also a rising star in medicine. Historically, it was listed as a “tribute to the imperial court,” and in modern times, it has become a famous dish served at state banquets. It is also an excellent food for dietary therapy. Rich in nutrients, dried bamboo fungus contains 19.4% crude protein, 2.6% crude fat, 60.4% total soluble nitrogen-free extractives—including 4.2% fungal sugar, 8.4% crude fiber, and 9.3% ash. It has significant therapeutic effects on treating hypertension, neurasthenia, and gastrointestinal diseases, can prevent and fight cancer, aid in weight loss and body strengthening. It also has unique preservative properties—dishes and meats cooked with bamboo fungus in summer remain unspoiled for many days.

　　A large, colorful edible fungus with a lacy skirt that grows in damp bamboo forests during autumn, belonging to the family Phallaceae (formerly Dictyophoraceae), genus Dictyophora. It includes the long-skirted bamboo fungus and the short-skirted bamboo fungus, with the scientific name Dictyophora

　　indusiata

　　(Vent. ex

　　Pers.) Fischer and D. duplicata

　　(Bosc) Fischer. Other common names include sengzhumu, bamboo fungus, bamboo ginseng, and bamboo mushroom. The fungus is white, tender, crisp, and delicious, and when cooked with other foods, it acts as a preservative. Each 100g of dried product contains 19.4g of crude protein, 2.6g of fat, 60.4g of carbohydrates, along with various essential amino acids and vitamins for the human body. It is mainly distributed in Yunnan, Sichuan, Guizhou, Hubei, Anhui, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Guangxi, and Hainan provinces in China, among which the Zhaotong area of Yunnan Province is the most renowned.

　　Bamboo fungus was first successfully domesticated in China in the 1980s. Materials used for artificial cultivation include bamboo, log segments, sugarcane bagasse, and sawdust. Cultivation methods include box cultivation, bed cultivation, and open-field bamboo forest cultivation. Tissue isolation is performed using mushroom buttons as material, with a potato medium at pH 4.5–5, incubated at 15–20°C for 15–20 days to obtain a pure mother culture. The pure strain mycelium is white and turns light pink or purplish-red upon exposure to light. The cultivation material is then prepared using the raw materials and inoculated with the mother culture. Incubated at the same temperature for 30–45 days, the original strain is obtained. The original strain can be used directly or further expanded into a cultivation strain. Cultivation begins in early spring when temperatures rise above 15°C. After inoculation, cover with 3–5 cm of soil to retain moisture and encourage mycelial cord formation. Keep the covering soil moist and maintain humidity in the cultivation area. The optimal temperature for fruiting body development is 23–26°C. Under suitable cultivation conditions, mycelial cords emerge from the soil within one month, mushroom buttons appear in two months, and harvest can occur in about three months. After harvesting, wash off the spores, remove the volva and soil, then dry in the sun or by heating to produce the commercial product. Those that are white, large, and free of insect damage are considered top quality.

　　Edible Methods: 1. Soak 50g of dried bamboo fungus in warm water for 10 minutes, rinse, and cut into pieces about one inch long. Cut 500g of pork ribs into cubes and place them together with the cut bamboo fungus in a pot. Add 550g of 100°C hot water, cook for 20 minutes, then add salt and MSG before serving. 2. Soak 50g of dried bamboo fungus in warm water for 10 minutes, rinse, and stuff finely chopped pork mixed with salt and MSG into the hollow centers of the bamboo fungus. Arrange them in a row, steam for 25 minutes, then cut into cubes once cooled to 50°C before eating.

　　Storage Notes: Do not place in direct sunlight or in hot, humid areas. Consume as soon as possible after opening.