Description of the mushroom eringi
Eringi mushrooms are known to culinary experts in many countries. By their taste, they are compared with boletus mushrooms, and because of their external similarity, they are also called "royal oyster mushroom". They are unpretentious when grown at home, do not require complex processing and are highly valued by gourmets.
Description of the mushroom Eringi
Distribution locations and collection period
Royal oyster mushrooms grow in the steppe zone of Europe and Asia, North Africa and America. Representatives of this species are popular in China and Korea, where they are grown on an industrial scale. Unlike the boletus, which prefer the neighborhood with conifers, they settle on the roots and stems of umbellate grasses, such as Gladysh, Ferula, and Bluehead. By the way of feeding, the species can belong to saprophytes, processing the remains of these plants into organic compounds, and sometimes they can parasitize on living plants.
Did you know? Since 1993, the effective cultivation of royal oyster mushrooms has been carried out in Japan. It is currently successfully grown in the USA, Australia, Southeast Asia, and South Africa.
They begin to appear in early March and bear fruit until the end of spring. In fruitful years, under favorable weather conditions, re-harvesting begins in September and ends at the end of November.
Description of appearance
The steppe cep has a red-brown cap at the beginning of development, then brownish, to the edge of a whitish color, with a diameter of 2-6 cm. The shape is flat, with a depression in the middle and small scales on the surface in the center. The stem is white, cylindrical with a thickening at the base. It grows up to 5 cm in length, up to 2 cm in thickness, with a central or slightly offset leg attachment. In older specimens, the fruiting body acquires a yellowish tint.
The plates of the porcini mushroom smoothly pass onto the stem. They are thin, with a pinkish tinge. Its pulp is fleshy and white, has a dense structure, a light, pleasant mushroom smell and rich taste. The spore powder has a creamy shade.
For your information. Spore powder is a collection of all spores that have matured in the hymenophore of the fungus.
The white steppe mushroom has similar counterparts: blue-legged (scientifically lilac-legged), and pseudo-pig (scientifically leucopasillus lepistoid). Distinctive features of the bruise are its smooth, dense leg of a bluish-purple hue at the base, as well as the flesh of a gray-blue color. The pseudo-pig has a thick and white leg, and the cap is wide, growing up to 15-20 cm in diameter.
Beneficial features
Due to its high nutritional value, the white steppe mushroom is recommended to be consumed with a diet, as well as for medicinal purposes.
Its pulp contains many B vitamins, vitamin D, proteins, minerals, antioxidants and amino acids. An interesting feature is inherent in it - unlike other species, it does not absorb harmful substances from the air. And lovastatin plays an important role in liver function.
Irina Selyutina (Biologist):
Lovastatin is isolated from a strain of Aspergillus terreus fungi.It is also present in the fruiting bodies of oyster mushrooms, and hence the porcini mushroom, as one of the representatives of this group as well. This substance belongs to the group of lipid-lowering drugs that are used to lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood. Lovastatin is capable of disrupting the early stages of cholesterol synthesis in the liver. It is recommended for use if diet and exercise have already been applied to a sick person, but weight loss has not improved the situation with cholesterol levels.
Therapeutic effect on the human body:
- strengthens the immune system;
- removes toxins;
- lowers blood cholesterol levels;
- prevents the development of atherosclerosis;
- normalizes metabolism;
- restores the normal functioning of the nervous system;
The white steppe mushroom is rich in proteins - their amount reaches 35% of the total mass. This is a low-calorie product: there are 43 kcal per 100 g of weight.
In oriental cosmetology, tinctures, extracts and masks from royal oyster mushrooms are widely used. It is a frequent component of medicated masks and ointments.
Contraindications
You shouldn't give mushrooms to small children.
The eringi mushroom has no special contraindications to use. However, its consumption is limited for problems with the gastrointestinal tract and is not included in the diet of young children.
Growing at home
The advantage of growing white steppe mushroom in a backyard is the simplicity of this process.
To grow the white steppe mushroom, in the fall, during the fall of the leaves, they prepare pieces of wood, branches, a whole bark of trees. Rotten pieces of wood or stumps are also used for these purposes. It is advisable to avoid using coniferous and fruit trees with a high resin content, so that it does not impart an unpleasant resinous flavor to the mushroom. Mycelium is added to the selected wood, preventing the ingress of dirt and bacteria. It is preferable to use mycelium on sticks, which are placed in pre-drilled holes.
To ensure a stable microclimate, the prepared wood material is placed in trenches dug for this purpose so that the mycelium is closer to their edges, a little straw is placed on top with a small layer of soil.
Already after 7-10 days, it is possible to obtain a crop, provided that regular watering is ensured. On sunny days, in order to avoid drying out of the soil, shade is provided to the trenches. With the onset of cold weather, they are covered with a thick layer of leaves. The main condition for successful cultivation is to ensure a stable microclimate, which includes maintaining optimal humidity and avoiding sudden changes in temperature. Moreover, it is important to take into account that if there is an excess of moisture, the legs of Eeyinga will acquire a layered structure. If fresh air is not enough for them, and there is an excess of carbon dioxide, then the fruiting body will have a small convex cap and a thick leg.
With proper observance of the technology of cultivation and care, the mycelium will stably bear fruit from 3 to 7 years.
Cooking use
The white steppe mushroom is easy to process: before use, it is enough to cut the legs, wash well and remove the contaminated areas. It does not lose its taste even after it. The broth for soups turns out to be transparent, rich and aromatic. It is also good in fried, stewed form. It is grilled, dried, salted and pickled.
Irina Selyutina (Biologist):
Eringi is considered the most delicious oyster mushroom. Young fruiting bodies are used entirely, but in mature ones - only caps, because the legs of age fungi are already stiff. Sometimes, when cooking such mushrooms, you need to cut out part of the roughened pulp of the cap located above the leg.
It is one of the few varieties that is used raw in salads, combined with other vegetables. It is used both as a side dish and as an independent dish.
They are stored in a breathable package in the refrigerator for 2 weeks, freezing allows to increase the shelf life.
Conclusion
To grow a white steppe mushroom in your backyard, you do not need to create any exceptional conditions for the mycelium. With a little effort, you will get a wonderful and useful product that is always desired on the table.
