A Guide to Choosing 10 Common Dried Mushrooms
How can you accurately judge and pick high-quality dried mushrooms? Today, let’s explore how to select ten of the most common varieties, focusing on their appearance, aroma, and texture.
1. Button Mushroom (Agaricus bisporus)
Appearance: Premium dried Champignon mushrooms have intact, rounded to slightly flattened caps in light beige to brown. Gills should be pale cream to light brown, densely arranged, and free from discoloration. Stems are short and firm, without hollowing or shriveling.
Aroma: Mild, earthy fragrance characteristic of button mushrooms; free from sour or musty odors.
Texture: Firm and crisp when dry, not spongy or soft. Overly brittle suggests over-drying; flexible or sticky indicates moisture absorption.
2. Shiitake Mushroom (Lentinula edodes)
Appearance: High quality dried shiitakes have thick, umbrella-like caps, 3–6 cm in diameter, dark brown to nearly black, often with natural cracking patterns. Gills are white to pale yellow, closely packed and uniform. Stems are short and stout.
Aroma: Strong, distinctive shiitake fragrance, savory and pure.
Texture: Hard and dry with noticeable weight; they may rattle crisply when shaken. Brittle indicates over-dryness; softness suggests moisture damage.
3. Wood Ear (Auricularia auricula-judae)
Appearance: Quality black wood ear is dark brown to black, with broad, intact lobes. The upper surface is smooth, and the underside has fine velvety hairs. Pieces should not clump together.
Aroma: Mild, woody scent without moldy or sour notes.
Texture: Crisp and fragile when dry. Excess flexibility means too much residual moisture.
4. Snow Fungus (Tremella fuciformis)
Appearance: Pale white to light yellow, fluffy and chrysanthemum-shaped, with thick flesh. Should be free of black spots or mold. If unnaturally bright white, it may have been sulfur-bleached.
Aroma: Light, delicate fragrance; any sulfur odor suggests chemical treatment.
Texture: Brittle and crisp. Soft or elastic texture usually indicates high moisture or poor storage.
5. Tea Tree Mushroom (Agrocybe aegerita)
Appearance: Caps are round to semicircular, 2–4 cm across, light to dark brown with shallow wrinkles. Gills are pale yellow, dense, and moderately long. Stems are slender, ~10 cm, fibrous, and lighter than the cap.
Aroma: Refreshing, tea-like fragrance unique to this mushroom.
Texture: Caps firm; stems slightly pliable but not limp.
6. Porcini (Boletus edulis and related species)
Appearance: Dried porcini range from yellow-brown to dark brown. Caps may reach 10 cm+, velvety or scaly on the surface. Pores are yellow to greenish. Stems are thick, 5–10 cm, often with a net-like pattern near the base.
Aroma: Rich, earthy, nutty scent; no sour or musty odor.
Texture: Firm, slightly coarse due to natural surface texture.
7. Lion’s Mane (Hericium erinaceus)
Appearance: Round to oval bodies covered with uniform spines 1–3 cm long, pale yellow to light brown. Clean surface without mold or spots.
Aroma: Mild, pleasant fragrance, natural and subtle.
Texture: Dense and slightly springy; not soft or hollow.
8. King Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotus eryngii)
Appearance: Caps pale gray to yellowish, 3–6 cm, smooth and rounded. Gills are white and tightly packed. Stems are thick, 5–15 cm, solid and white to pale yellow.
Aroma: Light, fresh mushroom aroma with a subtle nutty note.
Texture: Firm and dense. Stems should feel hard and solid, not hollow.
9. Agaricus Blazei (Agaricus subrufescens)
Appearance: Caps 3–8 cm, tan to dark brown, often with fine fibrous scales. Stems 4–10 cm, sturdy, slightly swollen at the base, with vertical striations.
Aroma: Distinct almond-like scent, strong and natural.
Texture: Dry, firm, and slightly tough; not soft or damp.
10. Morel (Morchella spp.)
Appearance: Distinctive honeycomb-patterned caps, 3–8 cm, tan to dark brown. Stems white to pale yellow, hollow, evenly thick, with vertical ridges.
Aroma: Deep, earthy fragrance unique to morels.
Texture: Light but rigid. Softness or stickiness indicates moisture or spoilage.