Tag Archives: Phallus indusiatus

Amusing, Belize, Food

It's Mushroom Time…

Munchkin.Back.View

With the heavy rains in July, we have had lots of wild mushrooms popping up on the farm.  The Stinkhorn otherwise known as bamboo pith or bamboo fungus (Phallus indusiatus) has been  a common one for us.  These are edible and we are perfectly happy to eat them.  I say this because I have seen strange looks from Non-Asian people who look too frightened to try this epicurean delight.

These mushrooms start off as an egg-shaped structure, commonly known as “Witches’ Eggs.”

Stinkhorn Egg.
Stinkhorn Egg.

You can pick them at this stage to eat; once cooked, they have a gooey texture.  They are alright (not great) if you are feeling adventurous…best pan-fried with onions and garlic.

Asian people eat the mushrooms at this stage when they become erect and rather phallic looking.  In the Asian Market, they are cultivated and sold dehydrated.

Stinkhorn.
Stinkhorn.
Stinkhorn.
Stinkhorn.

You can stir-fry them and put them in stews and soups.  Go on then…do something different today and find some of these lovely specimens in Toledo and cook them up for dinner!!  They are supposed to be an aphrodisiac!

Belize, Farming, Food, Mushrooms

Paprika Stinkhorn Egg with Nori Flakes.

Together.Eating Hello Everyone, you are getting two posts almost back to back because our Internet was down for most of the day.  The day started off with a thunderstorm and stayed stormy for most of the day; there was also a power-cut for most of the morning.

As promised, I have posted up my recipe with the Witches’ Eggs which I foraged yesterday.  I seasoned the sliced immature stinkhorn mushrooms with paprika and white pepper.

Stinkhorn Mushroom Egg Sliced.
Stinkhorn Mushroom Egg Sliced.

The dish actually turned out nicely and Gnome commended me for my efforts.  Prior to eating, he had been giving me a sideway neophobic ducky look in preparation for the slimy quality of the mushroom.  However, when he did eat it, he looked surprised and likened it to oysters; he said that they should be called “vegetarian oysters” or “faux oysters.”

Cooked Stinkhorn Eggs with Nori Flakes.
Cooked Stinkhorn Eggs with Nori Flakes.

The toasted nori flakes complimented the “seafood” taste of the mushroom very well.  For the full recipe, check out Paprika Stinkhorn Egg with Nori Flakes in Belize Wild Recipes.

At this point, I would like to thank our Chinese friend (real Chinese, not like me!) for emailing us to give us some more information on this fungus.

Ruri.Chan

This is what she said (more or less):

This mushroom is called Zhu Sun in Chinese.  The  Zhu means bamboo (because it grows on bamboo litter) and it also has the same sound as congratulations.  The Sun means smooth and successful.  Zhu Sun also means longevity.  This mushroom is usually eaten during Chinese New Year but can also be eaten all year round.  The Chinese eat the mature mushroom and the recipes are usually found under “bamboo pith” on the Internet.

This information was a great help and we will be collecting some fresh mature specimens to eat.  I can’t wait!

Yes, she is right, they do grow on bamboo litter as you can see:

Stinkhorn Growing on Bamboo Litter.
Stinkhorn Growing on Bamboo Litter.

May we all have the pleasure of eating such an auspicious mushroom!