Shelan hazel mushrooms

Shelan hazel mushrooms

　　Hazel mushrooms are produced in the Wandashan Mountain Range within Baoqing County, free from any pollution and purely a natural green delicacy. Their flesh is delicate, tender, and delicious, with extremely high nutritional value.

　　Hazel mushrooms are edible fungi of the genus Armillaria. Wild hazel mushrooms are one of the unique mountain delicacies of Northeast China and are among the very few edible fungi that cannot be cultivated artificially.

　　Hazel mushrooms have a delicious taste. Braised chicken with hazel mushrooms is an indispensable traditional delicacy used by people in the Northeast to entertain honored guests. Hazel mushrooms contain various essential amino acids and vitamins. Regular consumption can enhance the body’s immunity, improve intelligence and mood, invigorate energy and reduce hunger, as well as delay aging and promote a healthy figure.

　　Hazel mushrooms are umbrella-shaped, light yellowish-brown in color, turning brownish when mature. The center of the cap has flat or upright small scales, which become nearly smooth when mature, and the edges of the cap have radially arranged striations. When the mushroom cap is torn open, the flesh inside is white. The stem is slender, cylindrical, slightly thicker at the base, often curved, 5–13 cm tall, with longitudinal striations, and the interior is soft to hollow.

　　Hazel mushrooms grow between July and August on the base of trunks, root collars, fallen trees, and buried branches of both coniferous and broad-leaved trees. They are commonly found on low-mountain hazel shrub hills, hence the name “hazel mushrooms.” Hazel mushrooms are not only edible but also medicinal. They can be used to cultivate the valuable medicinal herb—Gastrodia elata—by leveraging their symbiotic relationship to enhance the yield and quality of Gastrodia elata during artificial cultivation.

　　Effects and benefits of wild hazel mushrooms

　　Regular consumption of wild hazel mushrooms can prevent skin dryness and resist certain respiratory and digestive tract infections. The benefits of hazel mushrooms go beyond that—they are also effective in preventing vision decline and night blindness. If you are someone who works in front of a computer frequently, it is recommended that you eat more hazel mushrooms, as they are very helpful for eye health. Additionally, hazel mushrooms can be used to cultivate the valuable medicinal herb—Gastrodia elata—by leveraging their symbiotic relationship to enhance the yield and quality of Gastrodia elata. They share the same effects as Gastrodia elata, such as dispelling wind, activating meridians, strengthening muscles and bones, and providing a calming effect. Their polysaccharides offer pharmacological and health benefits such as anti-radiation properties, promoting hematopoietic function, regulating immune function, and inhibiting tumor growth.

　　There is a saying in the Northeast: “When the son-in-law comes through the door, the chicken is scared out of its wits.” This means that when a son-in-law visits his wife’s parents for the first time, the mother-in-law will definitely serve braised chicken with hazel mushrooms to welcome him, showing just how special this dish is.