Mirror Lake Mountain Mushrooms

Mirror Lake Mountain Mushrooms

　　There are nearly a hundred varieties of mushrooms in the Mirror Lake Mountain area. "They can be found on all the surrounding mountains." These mushrooms are famous for their large size, vibrant color, and delicious taste. The most common ones include yellow milk cap, chicken-of-the-woods, hazel mushroom, pine mushroom, and flat mushroom, all of which are produced in abundance.

　　Yellow milk caps and chicken-of-the-woods grow in early summer, with peak growth during midsummer. The yellow milk cap, also known as golden-top mushroom or imperial mushroom, only grows on dead elm wood. Its cap is grass-yellow, funnel-shaped, and two to fourteen centimeters wide; its stem bases are connected, and the flesh is pure white. When fresh, it tastes exceptionally delicious when stir-fried with eggs or chicken chunks, and makes even more flavorful dumplings.

　　Chicken-of-the-woods grows on the trunks and roots of oak trees. Its cap is bright orange or reddish-orange, strikingly vivid, and forms overlapping, layered pieces with a base that fuses together, resembling a rooster’s comb—hence the name “tree chicken.” Its flesh is thick, tender, and crisp. When fresh, it tastes great stir-fried with chives or stewed with chicken. Yellow milk caps and chicken-of-the-woods are not suitable for storage and should be eaten fresh. Hazel mushrooms and flat mushrooms, however, can be dried and stored for long periods. In winter, simply soak them in hot water, and they will expand like fresh mushrooms, retaining their clean and delicious flavor. Hazel mushrooms grow in late summer, mostly in shrubs, especially in hazel groves, but also at the base of broadleaf trees. Their caps are thick, grow in clusters or groups, are earthy-yellow in color, start off hemispherical when small, and then flatten out like small umbrellas as they grow, reaching up to fifteen centimeters in width. The stems are thick, stout, and fibrous with hollow cylindrical structures; the flesh is white and delicious.

　　Flat mushrooms, also called winter mushrooms or yellow mushrooms, are among the finest mushrooms, second only to monkey head mushrooms. In autumn, flat mushrooms grow in fish-scale-like clusters on decaying tree wood, including fallen or dead birch, oak, poplar, and elm trees—especially on fallen elm wood. Their caps are fan-shaped or kidney-shaped, grayish-brown, and two to fifteen centimeters wide. The stems are short and flat, white or pale yellow, and the flesh is white with an extremely delicious taste. When dried, they turn into large yellow chunks and can be rehydrated with warm water to regain their fresh shape. They are best cooked with chicken.

　　Mushrooms are rich in protein, vitamins, carbohydrates, and amino acids, making them highly nutritious and often referred to as “vegetable meat.” Some also have medicinal properties, helping to treat indigestion, resolve phlegm, regulate qi, relieve numbness in hands and feet, and reduce unnamed swellings or toxins. They can also help relieve symptoms of measles in children.

　　China has a long history of consuming mushrooms. In ancient times, they were called frozen greens, sheep’s stomach, chicken leg mushrooms, silver plate powder, and more. As early as the Han Dynasty, they were considered delicacies at grand banquets. In the early Qing Dynasty, dozens of loads of Mirror Lake Mountain mushrooms were sent to Shengjing every year as tribute.