Is the "Queen of Fungi" bamboo fungus egg really an egg? How much does it usually cost per jin? Which is better, it or bamboo fungus?

Bamboo fungus egg, also known as bamboo fungus mushroom or bamboo fungus flower, is a commonly used edible fungus. Because it is rich in amino acids and other elements, it is quite popular among people, and regular consumption has the effect of enhancing human immunity, so it is widely cultivated. So, is bamboo fungus egg an egg? How much does it usually cost per jin? Which is better, it or bamboo fungus?

Is bamboo fungus egg an egg?

No, bamboo fungus egg is actually the embryo of bamboo fungus, composed of four parts: the Mengsun, spores, the cap, and the outer wrapper. Mengsun, also called bamboo fungus mushroom, is the incompletely emerged bamboo fungus embryo. It is milky white and mushroom-shaped, with a fresh, tender and crisp taste; the outer wrapper and cap are milky white, semi-transparent and net-like, also called bamboo fungus flower, with a crisp and fresh taste.

In Zhijin, Guizhou, in unpolluted natural areas and a unique natural environment, this natural bamboo fungus is nurtured. It is rich in 24 kinds of amino acids, among which the 8 essential amino acids for the human body account for 45% of the total. It also contains various vitamins such as B2, polysaccharides, and various trace elements such as zinc, iron, phosphorus, and calcium, and is therefore called the “Queen of Fungi”.

The bamboo fungus egg, especially during the embryonic stage, has even richer nutritional value and is more distinctive when cooked and eaten.

As a fungal embryo outer covering that grows in bamboo forests, bamboo fungus egg contains a large amount of protein, various minerals, and vitamins. It has the effects of strengthening the spleen and benefiting the stomach, and replenishing qi and nourishing the brain. It tastes fresh, tender and crisp, with a unique flavor, and is a top-grade fungus.

When talking about bamboo fungus, most friends should be familiar with it. Bamboo fungus was once mistakenly said to be bamboo membrane, but in fact bamboo fungus is a cryptogamic fungus parasitic on the roots of dead bamboo, and is a famous precious edible fungus. The mature fruiting body of this fungus is very beautiful. It has a dark green cap, a snow-white cylindrical stalk, and a pink egg-shaped volva. At the top of the stalk, a ring of delicate white net-like skirt spreads downward from the cap, divided into long skirt and short skirt. It is famous for its handsome and moving appearance. Its fresh form is like a girl wearing a gauze skirt, and it can be called the “Snow Skirt Fairy”.

What we usually eat as bamboo fungus is the stalk and net-like skirt left after removing the cap. The reason bamboo fungus is a precious mushroom is, first, that its quantity is small, and second, that its harvest time is short. At five in the morning it breaks out of the “egg”, and by around nine it shakes out its fungal skirt. If it is not picked in time, it will wither and dissolve by the afternoon, and can no longer be used.

Latest price of bamboo fungus egg:

90-240 yuan per jin, generally dried goods; fresh bamboo fungus eggs are very hard to keep.

Selenium-enriched bamboo fungus has a very high selenium content, 4034 mg/kg. This variety of bamboo fungus sells for 160, and bamboo fetus sells for 240. There are also home-grown ones, with bamboo fungus eggs selling for 90 per jin, also selenium-enriched agricultural products. Good-quality ones cost over a thousand yuan per jin, while ordinary bamboo fungus eggs range from dozens to several hundred.

In addition, there are many varieties of bamboo fungus. Changning long-skirt bamboo fungus costs about 260 yuan, and red volva costs over 380. Fujian ones are very cheap, and one jin can be bought for just a few dozen yuan. If you have relatively high requirements for taste and nutrition, you can buy long-skirt bamboo fungus from Changning, Sichuan. This price is still quite suitable, with high cost performance.

Difference from bamboo fungus:

Bamboo fungus egg is what bamboo fungus looks like when young, that is, its embryo. Because the bamboo fungus embryo is round and has obvious layers when cut open, just like the yolk and white of an egg, it is called bamboo fungus egg. The embryo is composed of four parts: the Mengsun, spores, the cap, and the outer wrapper. Mengsun is what we often call bamboo fungus mushroom. It is the incompletely emerged bamboo fungus embryo, mushroom-shaped and milky white, with a fresh, tender and crisp taste; the outer wrapper and cap are milky white, semi-transparent and net-like, also called bamboo fungus flower, with a crisp taste and fresh flavor.

The reason bamboo fungus is a precious mushroom is, first, that its quantity is small, and second, that its harvest time is short. At five in the morning it breaks out of the “egg”, and by around nine it shakes out its fungal skirt. If it is not picked in time, it will wither and dissolve by the afternoon, and can no longer be used.

Effects:

Bamboo fungus egg is a physiologically alkaline food. Long-term consumption can regulate the blood acid and fatty acid content in middle-aged and elderly people, and has the effect of lowering high blood pressure. In addition, bamboo fungus egg also has the effect of lowering cholesterol in the body and reducing fat accumulation on the abdominal wall. The Miao people in Yunnan also soak bamboo fungus eggs and glutinous rice in water and drink it to treat injuries, weakness, and cough, and it also has pain-relieving and qi-tonifying effects. Folk people in Guizhou also use bamboo fungus eggs to treat dysentery, bacterial enteritis, and leukemia, etc.

The polysaccharides contained in bamboo fungus egg are highly active macromolecular substances, and have certain therapeutic effects in anti-tumor, anti-coagulation, anti-inflammation, immune stimulation, and blood sugar reduction, and also have an inhibitory effect on AIDS.

The polysaccharides of short-skirt bamboo fungus egg have a certain effect of scavenging superoxide anion free radicals and can inhibit lipid peroxidation of artificial cell membranes, which may be one of the main mechanisms of its anti-tumor and immunity-enhancing effects.