Guannan Enoki Mushrooms

Guannan Enoki Mushrooms

Guannan Enoki Mushrooms are a protected geographical indication product.

　　The production area of Guannan Enoki Mushrooms covers the current administrative region of Guannan County, Jiangsu Province.

　　Lianyungang’s Guannan County is a national-level ecological demonstration county. The culture of Guannan Enoki Mushrooms boasts a long and rich history.

　　　　“Often I recall the old melodies of purple fungi, still seeking wild yams to defy old age; this morning I pause my blue-rice meal, to chant jade scriptures on a clean ritual square.” This is a praise of fungi by Yuan Dynasty poet Zhou Di, and such verses can be found abundantly in ancient poetry and couplets. Fungi culture is also reflected in the wood carvings of Jiang Dengke from Guannan, the decorative carving art of ancient Guannan architecture, Guannan paintings, and Guannan potted plants.

　　　　It is understood that the people of Guannan have created a variety of potted artworks using local fungi, which are highly favored by artists and collectors. Today, the Guannan Museum and private collectors preserve a large number of exquisite wood carving artworks that reflect Guannan’s fungi culture, including “The White Snake Steals the Immortal Grass,” “Picking Treasures for Mother,” “Auspicious and Harmonious Imagery,” “The Queen Mother’s Peaches of Immortality Banquet,” and the “Yang Family Generals” series of wood carvings. These works have helped spread Guannan’s fungi culture both domestically and abroad, exerting a broad and profound influence.

　　　　It is reported that Guannan not only has a rich fungi culture but also enjoys unique natural conditions for growth. Its climate features abundant rainfall, moderate temperatures, and high humidity, all of which provide favorable conditions for enoki mushroom cultivation. Additionally, the county’s distinctive soil structure and ample supply of sawdust provide sufficient nutrients throughout the mushrooms’ growth process.

　　　　Currently, Guannan County is home to 29 enoki mushroom production enterprises, over 50 cooperatives, and more than 3,000 cultivating households. There are more than twenty enoki mushroom brands, with a daily production capacity of over 200 tons and an annual output value reaching 1.2 billion yuan, accounting for more than 20% of the county’s total agricultural, forestry, animal husbandry, and fishery output value.

　　　　It is learned that, in order to strengthen the enoki mushroom culture brand, in 2010, Guannan built the first “Northern Jiangsu Fungi Culture Exhibition Hall” in China, themed around “Fungi, People, and Society.” At the same time, the “China Fungi Capital Flower City Ecotourism Zone Project” was planned and constructed, amplifying tourism features such as fungi culture.

　　I. Variety

　　The white enoki mushroom variety FD-1 is selected.

　　II. Requirements for Raw and Auxiliary Materials

　　Sawdust (poplar sawdust) processed from poplar wood within the production area; the poplar sawdust must be piled for 3 to 6 months. Corn cobs, soybean stalks, and wheat bran must be fresh, free from mold, clumping, or off-odors.

　　III. Production Season

　　Bag production takes place in September and January.

　　IV. Mixing Ingredients and Bagging

　　Weigh and mix all ingredients according to the determined formula ratio, adjust moisture content to 60%–63%, and pH to 7–8. Bag manually or by machine, create reserved holes using a conical rod, ensure the filling is neither too loose nor too tight, with a height of about 15 cm, and each bag containing approximately 0.4 kg of dry material.

　　V. Sterilization and Inoculation

　　Use either normal pressure or high-pressure sterilization. For normal pressure sterilization, maintain a temperature of 100°C for 16 hours; for high-pressure sterilization, maintain 121°C for 2.5 to 3 hours. Inoculate using an inoculation box following standard sterile procedures or perform assembly-line inoculation in a cleanroom. During inoculation, the surface of the cultivation bag must be fully covered with spawn, and some spawn should fall into the holes. Inoculate 20 to 25 bags per bottle of spawn.

　　VI. Management

　　1. Mycelium Cultivation Management: Control the temperature in the cultivation room at 18°C–20°C, air humidity at 60%–70%, provide dim light, and ensure proper ventilation.

　　2. Fruiting Body Management: Use the “regeneration method” for fruiting body management. After the cultivation bags reach physiological maturity, lower the temperature in the cultivation room (12°C–14°C) to stimulate the formation of mushroom primordia. Once dense needle-like primordia form inside the bag, cut off the plastic film on the bag opening with a small knife, then move to the fruiting room for management. After the needle-like primordia collapse, new, neat regenerative primordia will grow; when these form bun-shaped structures, bag them. Control the fruiting room temperature at 6°C–12°C, humidity at 85%–92%, and CO₂ concentration at 5,000 ppm–15,000 ppm (different concentrations are maintained for different development stages).

　　VII. Harvesting

　　Harvest when the stem length reaches 12–15 cm, the cap edges begin to curl inward, and the diameter is about 1 cm.

　　VIII. Quality Characteristics

　　 1. Sensory Characteristics: The fruiting bodies are bright white in color, with slender stems, small and fine caps, uniform and neat appearance, good visual appeal, and a crisp, tender, and smooth texture.

　　 2. Physicochemical Indicators:

　　Item    Indicator

　　Moisture (on fresh basis), % ≤ 90.0

　　Crude protein (on dry basis), % ≥ 18.0

　　Crude fiber (on dry basis), % ≤ 12.0

　　Ash content (on dry basis), % ≤ 8.0

　　 3. Safety and other quality technical requirements: The product’s safety and other quality technical requirements must comply with relevant national regulations.