Can-can Mushroom

Can-can Mushroom

　　The can-can mushroom, also known as boletus, buckwheat mushroom, or cat mushroom, is a type of fungus containing eight essential amino acids required by the human body, including isoleucine, leucine, and methionine. It is a fungus that cannot be artificially cultivated (though it can be grown through deep fermentation of mycelium), and is a famous specialty of Fenghuang. It comes from the Lare Mountain Plateau within Fenghuang County. This is a well-known local delicacy. The can-can mushroom thrives in cool, moist temperatures, with its peak growing season occurring around the eighth lunar month. It often grows in mixed forests of pine, tea trees, and other broadleaf species. It comes in three colors—grayish-white, yellowish-brown, and black—but all turn black and glossy when dried. The glossier ones are considered the best. Fenghuang can-can mushrooms have tender flesh, a delicious taste, and are extremely nutritious, making them a prized dish for both home meals and banquets. They are a rare wild mountain mushroom. Typically, dried can-can mushrooms are stir-fried or stewed with meat, but fresh boletus mushrooms actually taste even better.