These appear to be fresh straw mushrooms (volvariella volvacea) but I am not 100% certain, and neither was my suki that sold them to me at the market this morning. Some of the mushrooms are definitely still “unfurled” or “unbloomed” and look identical to canned straw mushrooms. They have a distinctive texture and shape, with taste being less a differentiating factor from other equally watery specimens. Several of the mushrooms seem older than they should be, having sprouted out of their usually almost egg-like shape.
I got a couple of packets at PHP25 each as I have never featured them on the blog before, and I was intrigued that they were on offer. They would be terrific in a made from scratch tom yum or spicy Thai soup, I have to see if we have enough of the ingredients in house to try that later today or tomorrow…
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They’re straw mushrooms alright. I just get a variety of other fresh mushrooms like Oyster, Button and Shiitake. Saute them with minced garlic in a bit of olive oil and butter, a sprinkling of salt and ground pepper then spread on buttered toast.
You may also want to use them as a filling for emapanadas or just saute with fresh veggies or as pasta al funghi :)
Kabuting saging or kabuteng dayami!!! wow!!! Sarap nito ilagay lalo na sa bulanglang with paayap and bulaklak ng kalabas! Masarap din ito sa chicken adobo with star annise…yum!
yep, they’re straw mushrooms and they’re very common in these parts -P80/kilo in the wet markets. my family loves them any way i cook them -stir-fried with lots of garlic and a little oyster sauce, or in tom yum, or even ni nilaga, or as fresh mushroom soup (sauteed with very little oil and some garlic, ginger and onions,and garnished with sili leaves, or sometimes with some fresh or canned corn, etc. they’re a lot more flavorful than fresh button mushrooms. sometimes i let them “bloom” overnight in a flat basket or colander or anything that will keep the air circulating around them. then i chop them up and saute them with lots of garlic and good olive oil and some salt (or anchovies or anchovy paste) and black pepper, and plop them onto hot pasta (fettuccine, preferably)….one of my family’s favorite sunday dinners.
Ay, nakita ko na uli si el_jefe, magandang araw sa ‘yo!
Seeing this blog reminded me of an early mushroom haul in Mayl…Morel!!!
I love mushrooms. They are one of the the delights of autumn foraging. Back there in the Philippines, my mother used to gather those kabute in our farm; she just wrapped them in banana leaves then steam over rice. I love it!
so what did you do with the mushrooms, MM? if you’re not cooking them right away, don’t put them in the fridge. instead, put them in a basket with loos weave, or a colander with many holes..anything that will ensure that air can circulate freely among the ‘shrooms. or give them a quick blanch in salted water, drain, and store in the fridge, although it will lose a lot of flavor this way.
Pasta with mushrooms is a family favourite too (like Millet’s family) – medium heat fried in butter, with chopped parsley just before serving on fettucine.
Pardon the cluelessness, but where exactly are you all getting these mushrooms for Php25 a pack or Php80 a kilo? I live in Metro Manila and foodshop quite a bit, but have never been so blessed with encountering fresh straw mushrooms at such a reasonable price. Imho, the canned version sucks, you see.
Esteban, the straw and oyster mushrooms here were purchased at the Saturday FTI market in Taguig, at the Food Terminal complex. Hit the wet/weekend markets at 6 am, identify the top purveyors, and purchase good fresh produce at reasonable prices. I think there is a bumpercrop of mushrooms at the moment, as even I was taken aback by the PHP25 per “pack” not sure it was 250 grams worth but probably was close to it at my suki Mary’s stall on Saturday. FTI is roughly 30-50% cheaper than shopping at a Makati grocery. Strawberries there were four packs for PHP100, for example, 1/3 of the price at groceries… And they just arrived from Benguet hours before the market opens. If more folks hit the markets, they would realize that they could eat better and more for less money… :) Oh, and I don’t see fresh straw mushrooms too often, or I would have featured them before. But there are lots of oyster mushrooms usually. Also lots of fresh shiitakes, but more pricey. And I occasionally find enokis and other types of mushrooms as well.
esteban, i meant P80/kilo here in davao. it spoils easily so i don’t think any of the davao straw mushrooms ever get to manila.
Hi guys, thanks a lot for the extra info. MM, FTI is a bit of a stretch, but still reachable for me. Millet, Davao is a bit more of a challenge. He he. In any case, I’m glad you guys got such good deals on the shrooms. maybe I’ll get lucky too.
I remember in the province(Batangas) when I was a child after an evening thunderstorm, the very next morning my Mom would wake up early and go to our backyard where there’s a lot of banana trees, and there she would find this type of mushroom. She normally cooked it with “sabaw” and ginger..it’s very refreshingly simple and light. I would never imagined that the passion for mushroom hunting would continue up until now..we have a house in the Italian alps and during summer it is one of our favorite past time.. hunting for porcini ,chantrelles and wild blue berries with my kids in tow.
Hi I have just bought half a kilo of these mushrooms here on the streets in Baguio PHP120 half kilo..quite expensive compared to Manila considering they are grown here….my question is do you eat the lower part of the mushroom or do you throw that away?…I have been eating the top part and the stalk but throwing the rest…..also is it good to wash them or do you think they lose a lot of flavor that way…? Look forward to your response…
Yes! We’re safe! Hinahanap ko to ngayon lang kasi ito ang uulamin namin ngayon, eh kaso a bit scared kasi wla ako alam sa mga mushrooms bka poisonous…hehehehe Thank you masyado sa nag post nito.
Hi everyone, we are one of the mushroom growers in the country. We are offering oyster mushroom, if you are interested to buy, just send me an e-mail. We are looking forward for your response..
raymond.sevilla@sanfranciscofoodsinc.com
09152166490
By the way, our farm is located in Santo Tomas Batangas.
I am maintaining a mini-mushroom Laboratory and also inviting mushroom growers if in case they run out of spawns. Spawns available at present are Oyster mushroom (Pleurotus sajor-caju) and Straw mushroom (Volvariella volcacea)
Just get in touch : Aleciones@Yahoo.com.ph/ 09172414573/034-7045532
Location: Bacolod City, Negros Occidental