Lichuan Straw Mushrooms

Lichuan Straw Mushrooms

　　Lichuan straw mushrooms are a specialty of Lichuan County, Fuzhou City, Jiangxi Province. Regarded as the "king of mushrooms," these rice straw mushrooms are a natural, green, and nutritious delicacy. They boast a unique flavor, are fragrant and delicious, and are rich in various essential amino acids and other nutrients required by the human body.

　　Among the three famous mushrooms of Lichuan—tea tree mushrooms, log-grown shiitake mushrooms, and straw mushrooms—the most delicious is arguably the straw mushroom. Locals call it "gan gu" (秆菇), which literally means "straw mushroom." As the name suggests, it is made using rice straw.

　　Straw mushrooms are highly nutritious. They are rich in vitamin C, which helps promote metabolism, boost the immune system, and enhance disease resistance. They also have detoxifying properties—for instance, when heavy metals like lead, arsenic, and benzene enter the body, the mushrooms can bind with them to form ascorbigen, which is then excreted through urine. The protein in straw mushrooms contains all eight essential amino acids in good proportion, accounting for 38.2% of the total amino acid content. They also contain a type of heterologous protein that can help eliminate cancer cells in the human body. Their crude protein content exceeds that of shiitake mushrooms, and their other nutritional components are roughly comparable to those of wood-based edible fungi. Like other such fungi, they also help inhibit the growth of cancer cells, especially providing auxiliary treatment benefits for digestive tract tumors and enhancing liver and kidney vitality. Straw mushrooms can slow down the absorption of carbohydrates in the human body, making them a good food choice for people with diabetes. Common cooking methods for straw mushrooms include stir-frying, sautéing, braising, stewing, stuffing, steaming, and using them in soups or as an ingredient in various meat dishes. They are suitable for soups or stir-frying as a vegetarian dish. Whether fresh or dried, they should not be soaked for too long.

　　Lichuan County has over 200 years of history in straw mushroom cultivation and enjoys a far-reaching reputation. As early as the early days of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Lichuan straw mushrooms were often presented as tribute to the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse to serve foreign guests. Many towns in the county grow straw mushrooms, but the most renowned production area is Tanxi Township.