The Fourth Treasure of Northeast China: Dried Hazel Mushroom Market Prices, Soaking Times, and Delicious Recipes

Hazel mushroom, also known as root rot fungus, honey mushroom, oak mushroom, etc., is a type of mushroom that grows on fallen logs, dead branches, and tree bases of coniferous and broadleaf trees. It is deeply loved by people for its high edible value and delicious taste. Since fresh ones are not easy to preserve, most on the market are dried, so what is the market price of dried hazel mushroom per jin? How long should it be soaked? How to cook it deliciously?

I. What is the market price of dried hazel mushroom per jin?

1. Gutian County Runkang Food Co., Ltd.: the price of dried hazel mushroom per jin is 68 yuan

2. Heilongjiang Province Hongfu Mountain Specialty Products Co., Ltd.: the price of dried hazel mushroom per jin is 57 yuan

3. Yunnan Native Produce Import and Export Group Co., Ltd.: the price of dried hazel mushroom per jin is 55 yuan

Because regions differ, prices also vary. If you want to know the specific price, you can check your local market.

II. How long should dried hazel mushroom be soaked?

Before cooking, rinse the surface of the hazel mushroom clean with cold water, remove the root base, place it cap-down in warm water and soak for 1 to 2 hours. Wait until the hazel mushroom becomes soft and the gills of the cap open, then gently rotate it by hand in the same direction so the sand and mud sink quickly to the bottom of the basin. The warm water for soaking the hazel mushroom is best at 25°C.

How to soak?

1. When soaking and washing, first rinse the surface of the hazel mushroom clean with cold water.

2. Then use warm water to open up the gills.

3. Then gently stir by hand in one direction, letting the sand and mud slowly sink to the bottom of the basin.

4. Note that you must not squeeze it. Squeezing will not only cause a large loss of aroma and nutrients, but the sand will also be squeezed into the gills of the mushroom, making it even harder to wash clean, and it will inevitably taste gritty when eaten.

5. Then soak in water for another 2 to 3 hours, take the hazel mushroom out of the soaking water, and filter the soaking water through gauze to use for making soup.

III. How to cook dried hazel mushroom deliciously?

1. Hazel Mushroom Stewed with Chicken

Ingredients: Northeast hazel mushroom, glass noodles, whole chicken, scallion, ginger, Sichuan peppercorn, star anise, cooking wine, dark soy sauce, salt

Method:

(1) Soak the Northeast hazel mushroom soft in clean water, remove the root base, wash clean, and soak the glass noodles soft in clean water for later use;

(2) Cut the whole chicken into large pieces and blanch in water;

(3) After the oil in the wok is hot, add scallion, ginger, Sichuan peppercorn, and star anise and stir-fry until fragrant, then add the chicken and stir-fry evenly;

(4) Pour in cooking wine and a little dark soy sauce for color, add salt to season, and pour in hot water to cover the chicken;

(5) Add the hazel mushroom and stew for twenty minutes, then add the softened glass noodles and continue stewing for five to six minutes.

2. Stir-Fried Pork Slices with Hazel Mushroom

Ingredients: pork, dried porcini mushroom, hazel mushroom, ginger, garlic, Sichuan peppercorn

Method:

(1) Soak the dried porcini mushroom and hazel mushroom in water until rehydrated;

(2) Cut the pork into thin slices and coat with starch;

(3) Heat ginger and Sichuan peppercorn in oil until fragrant;

(4) Slip the pork slices apart in lard;

(5) Add the porcini mushroom and hazel mushroom and braise together with stock;

(6) After the sauce reduces, add seasonings and remove from the wok.

3. Stir-Fried Potato Slices with Hazel Mushroom

Ingredients: hazel mushroom, pork belly, potato, green pepper, scallion, ginger, cooking wine, stock, salt

Method:

(1) Soak the hazel mushroom open in warm water and wash clean;

(2) Cut the pork belly into thin slices, slice the potato, tear the green pepper into pieces by hand, and slice the scallion and ginger;

(3) After the oil in the wok is hot, add scallion and ginger and stir-fry until fragrant, add the pork slices and stir-fry until they change color, then pour in a little cooking wine to bring out the aroma;

(4) Add the hazel mushroom and potato slices and stir-fry evenly;

(5) Pour in a little stock or hot water, cover and simmer until the sauce is absorbed;

(6) Add the green pepper pieces and stir-fry over high heat for two minutes until just cooked, then add salt to season and serve.

IV. What are the benefits of eating hazel mushroom?

1. Hazel mushroom has the effects of clearing the eyes, benefiting the lungs, nourishing the stomach and intestines, dispelling wind and activating collaterals, and strengthening muscles and bones; regular consumption of Northeast hazel mushroom can prevent visual disturbances, and has a certain therapeutic effect on eye inflammation, night blindness, dry skin, loss of mucous membrane secretion capacity, epilepsy, waist and leg pain, rickets, and certain respiratory and digestive tract infections.

2. Hazel mushroom is delicious, and it contains a variety of amino acids and vitamins essential to the human body. Regular consumption can strengthen the body's immunity, boost qi without hunger, and promote longevity and lightness of body.

3. Hazel mushroom is not only edible but also medicinal. In recent years, further domestic research has found that using Armillaria mellea fermentation broth and mycelium to treat conditions such as rheumatic waist and knee pain, limb spasms, and dizziness and headache all have therapeutic effects.