Fresh White Beech Mushrooms

The Shimeji should always be cooked, it is not a good mushroom to serve raw. When raw this mushroom has a somewhat bitter taste; the bitterness disappears completely upon cooking. The cooked mushroom has a pleasant, firm, slightly crunchy texture and a delicious slightly nutty flavor. Cooking also makes this mushroom easier to digest. In stir-fried foods, as well as with wild game or seafood it is a good mushroom. Also it can be used in soups, stews and in sauces. When cooked alone, Shimeji mushrooms can be sautéed as a whole, including the stem or stalk (only the very end cut off), using a higher temperature or they can be slow roasted on a low temperature with a small amount of butter or cooking oil. Shimeji is used in soups, nabe and takikomi gohan.

Brown Beech- The brown beech mushroom, or Bunashimeji, has a nutty, buttery flavor, and a firm, crunchy texture.

White Beech- Despite its unassuming appearance, the White Beech, or Bunapi, mushroom offers a surprising combination of crunchy texture and smooth, nutty flavor