OFF THE SHELF
Eryngii is a pearl of the oyster mushroom variety

Eryngii mushrooms store well, stand up nicely to cooking and tend to be less woody-stemmed than other oyster mushrooms. Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser

This slow-growing mushroom has many names: Pleurotus eryngii, king eryngii, king trumpet, pleuorote du panicaut, argonane, bouligoule, champignon de garrigue, cardoncello and cardarello. It is cultivated here, in Japan and in Europe, seeded in glass and plastic jars, but was first identified growing wild on the roots of hardwood trees.

To store eryngii, place them in a brown paper bag and keep them refrigerated; they'll last in the crisper for about a week. Don't be concerned if they turn a little brown or yellow, they're still usable.

Unlike other oyster mushrooms, the stems of which can be overly woody or chewy, this variety is pleasantly chewy top to bottom and has the advantage of remaining firm-textured in cooking, rather than melting away as many mushrooms do. It does require a little more cooking time and can stand up to sautéeing or stir-frying, becoming golden brown and nicely crisp. The flavor contains a hint of almond, and it's popular in both French and Italian cuisines. And here's an interesting tidbit: It was a craze for Italian cooking that put eryngii's popularity over the top in Japan.

This mushroom, which also is available dried, contains protein and offers vitamin C, niacin, folic acid and potassium.

Sources: goldengourmetmushrooms.com, jrmushroomsandspecialties.com.