Changning Long Skirt Bamboo Fungus

Changning Long Skirt Bamboo Fungus

Changning Long Skirt Bamboo Fungus is a protected geographical indication product.

　　Changning Long Skirt Bamboo Fungus is a specialty of Changning County, Yibin City, Sichuan Province. Also known as bamboo fungus, bamboo pith, or bamboo mushroom, the Long Skirt Bamboo Fungus boasts a delicious flavor and is one of the most famous and precious edible fungi. Changning County has developed the Long Skirt Bamboo Fungus as an advantageous and distinctive industry. The cultivation area of Long Skirt Bamboo Fungus remains above 20,000 mu year-round, with an output value exceeding 500 million yuan. Changning County is truly the “Home of Long Skirt Bamboo Fungus in China.”

　　Changning’s Shunan Bamboo Sea is known as the “Bamboo Capital of China” and is the world’s largest growing base for both clustered and scattered bamboos. Here, on the rolling hills, along the streams and rivers, beside the roads, and around homes, lush bamboos thrive everywhere, with bamboo branches, leaves, sheaths, and residues enriching the soil with organic matter. Moist without rain, fertile without manure, the bamboo fungus quietly grows across the land of bamboo-rich Changning. Bamboo fungus is a type of fungus that thrives on the decaying organic material of bamboo, so its growth is naturally linked to the bamboo. After the Qingming Festival each year, the air in the vast bamboo forests becomes moist. Around the bamboo stumps near farmhouses, a few bamboo fungi occasionally emerge: deep green caps, snow-white netted skirts, cylindrical stems, and pink bulbs — together resembling an elegant “princess in a white dress.”

　　The flesh of the bamboo fungus is thick, tender, snow-white, smoother and more lovable than white jade. Since ancient times, it has been one of the “Eight Treasures of Herbs.” Some fungi such as silver ear fungus and wood ear fungus become soft when boiled for too long at high temperatures. But the bamboo fungus from Changning remains tender, crisp, rich, and refreshing no matter how it’s cooked or blanched. Bamboo fungus is not only a nutritious delicacy but also offers high medicinal and health benefits, along with preservative properties. It is a precious edible and medicinal fungus, often hailed as the “Queen of Fungi.” Research from several universities and scientific institutes over the years shows that bamboo fungus contains 18 essential amino acids for the human body and a wealth of trace elements. It can fight tumors, inhibit bacteria, resist aging, and boost immunity. The natural antibacterial compounds in bamboo fungus can effectively suppress the reproduction and growth of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. In the past, without refrigeration devices like fridges, Changning locals would put one or two bamboo fungi in their soup, which would stay fresh for two to three days without spoiling. If the natural antibacterial and preservative effects of bamboo fungus are widely developed and applied, they could bring immeasurable benefits to humanity.

　　In recent years, the price of Changning bamboo fungus has been rising steadily, and supply has fallen short of demand. According to information obtained, Professor Guo Yunan from the Affiliated Hospital of Luzhou Medical College in Sichuan conducted long-term specialized research on the Long Skirt Bamboo Fungus from Shunan Bamboo Sea in Changning and found that it possesses high edible, medical, and health values. Experts from the Tianjin Industrial Microbiology Research Institute also studied the antibacterial effect of the Long Skirt Bamboo Fungus. Their research paper, “Study on the Antibacterial Properties of Long Skirt Bamboo Fungus,” concluded that the fungus contains natural antibacterial components with broad-spectrum antibacterial capabilities. In January this year, the Long Skirt Bamboo Fungus from Changning received geographical indication certification for agricultural products issued by the Ministry of Agriculture. In June 2010, at the “6th China International Edible Fungi Cooking Competition Beijing Invitational,” the county’s “Shunan Bamboo Sea Long Skirt Bamboo Fungus” series of dishes won three golds and one silver. Mou Rubin, head of the county’s agriculture bureau, said, “Currently, our county is vigorously developing bamboo fungus, building the brands of Bamboo Sea and eco-farming. We aim to maintain the cultivation area of Long Skirt Bamboo Fungus above 20,000 mu year-round, with an output value of over 500 million yuan, making Changning County truly the ‘Home of Long Skirt Bamboo Fungus in China.’”