Flammulina velutipes: The Ultimate Mushroom Guide

About The Flammulina velutipes Mushroom

Flammulina velutipes (enoki mushroom) is a delicious (or at least quasi-delicious) edible mushroom that can often be found when there is nothing else available. It is particularly common on dead elm trees and can often be found by morel hunters during the spring, even when there are no morels to be found.

Interesting that Flammulina populicola is virtually identical to the Flammulina velutipes but is easily separated based on its ecological niche; it grows from the wood of quaking aspen, narrowleaf cottonwood, and other poplars in western North America. Identification can be confirmed with microscopic analysis since the two species have differently shaped pileipellis elements and differently sized spores.

Believe it or not, the "enoki mushroom" often found in grocery stores and restaurants, also called the "enokitake," is a cultivated form of Flammulina velutipes. It looks nothing like the wild mushroom, however; it is pale, long-stemmed, and tiny-capped (see the illustration).

Flammulina velutipes Habitat

This Mushroom grows abundantly in tufts from the end of autumn until late winter. It grows on trunks, being a saprophyte fungus but also a parasite (of broad-leaved trees). Usually, the trunks are alive and are in particular trunks of elm, willow, plane tree, etc.

The Flammulina velutipes is a mushroom that can withstand cold temperatures and is widespread throughout the European continent. It prefers flat areas and is also easily found within gardens and city parks.

Flammulina velutipes Identification

1. Cap

   1-7 cm; convex, becoming broadly convex to flat; moist and sticky when fresh; bald; color fairly variable-dark orange-brown to yellowish-brown, often fading with maturity.

2. Gills

   Broadly or narrowly attached to the stem; whitish to pale yellow; crowded or close.

3. Stem

   2-11 cm long; 3-10 mm thick; equal or larger towards base; tough; pale to yellowish-brown or orange-brown when young; becoming covered with a dark, rusty brown to blackish velvety coating as it matures.

4. Flesh: Whitish to yellowish; thin.

5. Spore Print: White.

How to Collect Flammulina velutipes

If you plan to collect Flammulina velutipes for eating, there are some precautions you must take. Most importantly you must make a spore print and for Flammulina it should be white.

The mushrooms should also have no annulus (ring) on the stalk. If the spore print is brown and there is a ring, you have likely picked a deadly Galerina autumnalis.

You must check every mushroom you pick for brown spore color and annulus. If either characteristic is present do not eat it. Sometimes the annulus falls off and sometimes in young specimens the brown color of the gills is not fully developed.

The major problem with Galerina poisoning comes when the picker becomes careless and inadvertently includes this deadly mushroom in a collection.

The two species can occupy similar habitats and can be sometimes found fruiting side by side. Galerina autumnalis contains the same toxin as Amanita virosa, the death angel, so you must be very careful.

Flammulina velutipes Health Benefits

1. Immune-Boosting Benefits

   Enoki mushrooms provide a smorgasbord of nutrition as well as antioxidants. They are full of thiamin, niacin, potassium, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, calcium, copper, iron, and selenium, and low in dietary cholesterol and sodium. Amino acids valine, lysine, and ergothioneine fortify the immune-heightening properties of the enoki. Appreciated because of its health advantages, the enoki mushroom has been utilized in traditional Chinese and Japanese medication for hundreds of years like a tonic for liver disease, high cholesterol levels, stomach ailments, and high blood pressure level.

2. Helps you lose body fat in your gut

   Enokitake mushrooms functions as a non-meat source of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) that will assist to reduce body fat. Enokitake mushroom CLA has the same weight loss advantages as CLA from meat sources.

   Enoki mushroom consists of linoleic acid which helps to decrease gut fat. It is stated to switch on enzymes liable for burning up visceral fat. Therefore, helping you drop gut fat. So, including enoki mushrooms in your diet will help you decrease body fat.

3. Balance Sugar Level

   There are many advantages to getting more fiber in your daily diet like lowering your levels of cholesterol as well as bringing down unwanted weight.

   Apart from that, another benefit of dietary fiber is it improves blood sugar control. What better blood glucose control means in weight reduction is that it leads to less sugar being stored away as fat.

   Enoki mushrooms are full of dietary fiber that will help you manage blood glucose levels. Spikes within blood sugar result in insulin levels to boost telling the body to store fat. However, fiber might help enhance blood glucose levels simply by reducing the effect of glucose levels on insulin. In other words, what it does is slows down the assimilation of sugar. By reduction of the influence glucose within your bloodstream has on insulin, in effect you keep the body from storing fat away. Additionally, it works as a precautionary measure towards type 2 diabetes.

4. Prevent constipation and normalize bowel movements

   Fiber in enoki mushrooms help to normalize bowel motions and prevents constipation. 12 grams of dietary fiber are found in 300 grams of enokitake mushrooms which is 30 to 50 % of the daily fiber suggested by the Institute of Medicine for males and females of 50 yrs old and younger. However people below 51 need more fiber.

   Insufficient fiber in your daily diet may disturb normal bowel motions and may result in constipation. Enokitake mushrooms are one of the best low-calorie sources of dietary fiber to prevent constipation.

5. Promote intellectual development

   Enoki mushroom consists of a good amount of amino acid which could encourage and foster mental development as well as enhance memory. Enoki mushroom becomes essential for the maintenance of health and conditioning the intelligence of kids, for the life extension of the age, and also to enhance the memory of adults. It is honored as a “fungus which encourages intellectual development.”

6. Prevent Allergy

   Frequent use of enoki mushroom helps to prevent asthma, rhinitis, eczema as well as other allergic reactions. So include it in your regular diet to remain healthy and allergy-free.

7. Lower blood lipids

   Enoki mushroom consumption help to prevent the rise of blood lipids, decrease cholesterol to avoid hyperlipidemia, and lower the occurrence of coronary disease.

8. Promote metabolism

   Regular use of the Enoki mushroom encourages the biological activity of the body to improve the metabolic process that encourages the absorption of nutrition.

Flammulina velutipes Taxonomy

This species was described by Moses Ashley Curtis (1808 - 1872), who called it Agaricus velutipes - in the early days of fungus taxonomy most gilled mushrooms were placed in a huge Agaricus genus, most of whose contents have since been redistributed to many other genera.

Flammulina velutipes was moved to its present genus in 1947 by the German-born mycologist Rolf Singer. Deprecated synonyms include Agaricus velutipes Curtis, Gymnopus velutipes (Curtis) Gray, and Collybia velutipes Rea.

Flammulina velutipes Etymology

The generic name Flammulina is a reference to the orange caps, which shine like 'little flames' in the winter sunshine.

This mushroom's specific epithet is very understandable because velutipes means 'with velvet legs', and that's exactly what the stems of these winter fungi look and feel like.

Types of Flammulina velutipes Mushroom

There are two types of enoki mushroom: wild and cultivated. They differ in physical characteristics as well as taste.

1. Wild Flammulina velutipes

   Wild enoki mushroom grows on the stumps of the Hackberry tree, which is called Enoki in Chinese. These types of mushrooms are golden to dark brown colored and also have thicker stems. Furthermore, they are known as ‘Velvet Foot’ because the lower parts of their stems have got a thick velvety texture.

2. Cultivated Flammulina velutipes

   These types of mushrooms are grown in dark conditions and therefore are milky white-colored. They’re developed in special jars that help the development of long slim stems along with round tops at the end. This particular variety is also known as Snow Puffs and Golden Needles due to their color and shape.

Recipe: Enoki Mushrooms with Garlic & Scallion Sauce

Ingredients

1. 2 packs of enoki mushrooms, a total of 14 ounces

2. 2 tablespoons oil

3. 2 cloves garlic, minced

4. 3 tablespoons light soy sauce

5. ½ teaspoon sugar

6. 1 scallion, finely chopped

Instructions

1. Be gentle when handling these enoki mushrooms. Trim away about 1-inch of the root section. Use your fingers to tear the enoki mushrooms into small bite-size bundles and line them up neatly. Rinse clean and drain.

2. Prepare a wok with boiling water, and blanch the enoki mushrooms in two batches, cooking each batch for about 1 minute. Drain off the water and transfer the mushrooms to your serving plate.

3. In a small saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, and cook for about 10 seconds (no need to brown the garlic). Now add the light soy sauce, sugar, and scallions. Bring the sauce to a boil, and turn off the heat. Don’t overcook the garlic and scallions--we want that fresh and sweet taste! Slowly pour the sauce over the enoki mushrooms, and serve.

Recipe: Steamed Enoki and Tofu Dumplings

Ingredients

1. 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2. 1 red chili pepper (long, seeded and finely chopped)

3. 1 clove garlic (finely chopped)

4. 4 ounces enoki mushrooms (coarsely chopped)

5. 1 tablespoon soy sauce (plus additional for dipping)

6. 1 tablespoon mirin

7. 20 wonton wrappers

8. 10 ounces firm tofu (cubed)

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a small skillet on medium heat. Sauté chili pepper and garlic 1 min. Add mushrooms and cook 1 min. Stir in soy and mirin. Cook, stirring, 1 min. Cool slightly.

2. Working in 4 batches, place 5 wonton wrappers on aboard. Top each with a cube of tofu and a teaspoon of the mushroom mixture. Brush edges with water. Gather edges together to a point, pressing to seal.

3. Line a large steamer basket with parchment paper and pierce in a few places. Arrange dumplings in a single layer in the basket. Steam over a wok of simmering water 12-15 mins. Serve with additional soy sauce, for dipping.

Recipe: Enoki Mushroom Stir-Fry

For serving

1. 1 teaspoon olive oil

2. 1/4 cup brown rice

3. 1/2 cup water

4. Salt

5. 1 teaspoon mirin

Stir-Fry

1. 2 teaspoons sesame oil or olive oil

2. 3 leaves of swiss chard, leaves removed from the stems and stems chopped

3. 3 green onions, trimmed and sliced

4. 2 cloves of garlic, minced

5. 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

6. 1/2 fresno or jalapeño pepper, thinly sliced

7. 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce

8. 1 tablespoon mirin

9. 1 bunch of enoki mushrooms, feel free to substitute

10. 2 teaspoons seasme seeds

11. 1/4 lime

12. 1 large egg

Instructions

1. In a medium pot, set over medium heat, add a teaspoon of olive oil, swirling it around to coat the bottom. Pour in the rice, along with the water, salt and the mirin. Bring to a simmer and then immediately turn the heat to low and cover slightly. Cook the rice for about 10 to 12 minutes, until the water is completely evaporated.

2. To a medium sauté pan, set over medium heat, heat the sesame oil. When hot, add the swiss chard stems and green onions; cook until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Mix in the minced garlic, grated ginger, red chile pepper and cook for an additional minute, until the garlic is fragrant—it should start to smell awesome. Pour in the soy sauce, mirin, swiss chard leaves, mushrooms and sesame seeds; give it a good mix and cook for an additional minute or two until the vegetables have softened. Squeeze in the lime juice, turn the heat down to low and cover.

3. In a small saute pan, fry up an egg or two. Serve stir-fry on brown rice and top with the fried egg.

Recipe: Enoki with Garlic Scallion Soy Sauce

Ingredients

1. 2 packet (14 oz / 400 gram) enoki mushrooms, trim 1" off the "root" part

2. 2 tablespoon oil

3. 4 cloves garlic, minced

4. 3 tablespoon soy sauce

5. 1 teaspoon sugar

6. 2 scallion, thinly sliced

Instructions

1. Prepare enoki. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Blanch enoki in boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain and place the blanched enoki on a serving plate.

2. Prepare the sauce. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Sauté garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add soy sauce and sugar. Once it boils, turn the heat off. Add scallions into the pan, and mix well.

3. Serve enoki with the sauce. Quickly pour the sauce over the enoki. Serve immediately.

Recipe: Enoki Bulgogi Bibimbap

Ingredients

1. ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce

2. 1 garlic clove, grated

3. 2 tablespoons dark sesame oil

4. 1 tablespoon honey

5. ½ teaspoon chili paste, such as sambal

6. 7 ounces enoki mushrooms

7. 1 tablespoon olive oil or cooking oil

8. 1 head baby bok choy, sliced

9. ½ cup shredded carrots

Pinch fine sea salt

1. 1 cup white rice, cooked according to package directions

2. ½ cup sliced red bell pepper

3. ½ cup chopped or spiralized cucumber

4. 2 large eggs, fried to your preferences

Instructions

1. Whisk together the soy sauce, garlic, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, honey, and chili paste in a small dish.

2. Remove any root ends from the mushrooms. Separate 1/3 of the mushrooms and set aside. Chop the remaining mushrooms into small pieces. Heat the olive oil over medium-high in a medium skillet. Add the chopped mushrooms and cook for 1 minute. They will begin to soften. Pour in the soy sauce dressing and continue to cook and stir as the dressing thickens slightly. Turn the heat to low to keep the mushrooms warm while you prepare the other ingredients.

3. Toss 2 teaspoons of the remaining sesame oil with the bok choy and carrots. Heat a medium skillet over medium-high and add the vegetables. Cook for 2 minutes, just until the greens wilt. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Transfer to a bowl.

4. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon of sesame oil to the skillet and add the reserved enoki mushrooms. Toss to cook for 1 to 2 minutes, just until softened.

5. Assemble two servings by filling each bowl with half of the rice. Top with the enoki in the soy dressing and drizzle any sauce remaining in the skillet over the rice. Add the cooked bok choy and carrots. Next add the whole enoki, bell peppers, cucumber, and eggs, and serve.

Recipe: Crispy Enoki Mushrooms with Spicy Mayo

Ingredients

1. 400 g Enoki Mushrooms

2. 150 g Tempura Flour

3. 200 ml Iced Water

4. 1/2 tsp Sweet Paprika Powder

5. 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

6. Vegetable Oil for frying

7. 3 tbsp Vegan Mayonnaise

8. 2-3 tsp Sriracha Sauce

9. Green Onion finely chopped

Instructions

1. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together tempura flour, water, paprika powder, and garlic powder until smooth.⁣

2. Cut off the bottom part of the Enoki mushrooms and separate them into smaller bunches.⁣

3. Pick up the bunches on at a time with chopsticks and dip in the tempura mixture, let excess mixture drip off then fry in hot oil until golden. Fry in small batches so the Enoki mushrooms don’t stick together.⁣

4. When golden, place the mushrooms on paper towel to let excess oil drip off.⁣

5. Mix ingredients for the spicy mayo in a small bowl and serve the Enoki mushrooms with a sprinkle of green onions immediately while hot. ⁣

Recipe: Sliced Beef with Enoki Mushrooms

Ingredients

1. 1 pound thinly sliced beef (package Korean sliced beef, hot pot beef, etc.)

2. 2 packages of enoki mushrooms

3. 1/2 cup soy sauce

4. 1/2 cup sake or other rice cooking wine

5. 1/3 cup brown sugar

6. 2 tbsp minced ginger

7. 5 garlic cloves , crushed

8. 1 tbsp dried chilies

9. Water

10. Salt

Instructions

1. In a large enough bowl, mix soy sauce, sake (cooking wine), brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and dried chilies until the sugar is dissolved. Place the beef in the marinade and gently move it around ensuring they are completely covered. Let the meat marinate for at least an hour.

2. Remove the mushrooms from the packaging and cut and discard the base of the enoki. About 15 minutes prior to frying them, soak the mushroom in very hot but not boiling water with a pinch of salt. This will soften and loosen the mushrooms. After the enoki have soaked for 15 minutes, drain them well.

3. To assemble the rolls lay one or two beef slices on a board. Place a cluster of the enoki at one end. Roll the beef around the mushrooms fairly tight.

4. Place the rolls on a griddle and cook about 2-3 minutes per side. Serve immediately.

Recipe: Enoki Mushroom Soup

Ingredients

1. 1 package enoki mushrooms, cut into segments

2. 1 green onion, chopped

3. 1 teaspoon salt

4. 1 tomato, peeled and cut into pieces

5. 1 teaspoon vegetable oil

6. 1 teaspoon chicken essence

7. 1 tablespoon parsley, minced

Instructions

1. Cut enoki mushrooms into 2-inch length pieces and remove the bottom gritty portion of it.

2. Heat a wok with oil, stir-fry green onion until fragrant. Add tomato and continue to stir-fry until it becomes soft.

3. Add water and salt in the wok. And cook it until boiling.

4. Add enoki mushrooms and chicken essence and cook for 5 minutes until the enoki mushrooms become soft.

5. Turn off the fire. Transfer it on a bow. Garnish with parsley and serve.