Mushrooms have always been surrounded with tales of mystery, magic and supernatural qualities. They have been part of the human diet in many parts of the world, where their spell has gone beyond the kitchen and into the medicine cabinet.
The Chinese are credited with having cultivated the mushrooms systematically for thousands of years, drying most of the harvest for consumption during harsh vegetable-starved winters. The Japanese value the matsutake, harvested from pine forests and sold for prices rivaling the world-famous black truffles cherished by French chefs but which, technically is not supposed to be a mushroom.
The prices paid for matsutake mushrooms vary according to origin and shape. The association of matsutake with pine trees, the Japanese symbol of longevity, has created a close connection with their cultural identity, which is probably a significant reason for matsutake being the world’s most expensive mushroom, retailing at up to US$2,000.00 per kilo. Although many attempts have been made for the cultivation of matsutake, none to date have been commercially successful. Although methods have been developed for increasing matsutake yields from forests where it occurs naturally, methods for its cultivation remain elusive.
The most popular variety in the whole world is the white button mushroom, with a rounded cap and edible stem. In temperate countries it is grown in caves which provide the perfect temperature and humidity. In the Philippines, fresh button mushrooms used to be very rare, and chefs had to resort to mushrooms canned in brine.
Although city-bred Pinoys still consider mushrooms a foreign ingredient for expensive dishes, barrio residents all over the Philippines have been feasting on mushrooms (kabute in Tagalog) since time immemorial. The most common Philippine mushroom is the Kabuteng Saging (Rice Straw Mushrooms) which sprouts around the base of banana plant clumps after a thunderstorm.
These days, though, the most widely available is the oyster mushroom, sometimes called abalone mushroom, which started to appear in the local market three decades ago.
Travelers to Tagaytay and Batangas are very familiar with the first Mushroom Burger store right on the national highway along the ridge overlooking Taal Volcano, a few kilometers west of the Mendez junction. Thirty years ago, it was a regular stop for our large family during weekend forays to Batangas; all of our five kids (ages 4-10) would not stop screaming until each got a large-size mushroom burger with cheese.
Behind the burger joint, at the edge of the cliff that provided a magnificent view of Taal Lake and Volcano, were five long and tall greenhouses where the oyster mushrooms were grown by the agri-corporation called Biofoods. We often peeked as the gardener on duty picked a kilo of mushrooms for us to take home.
One day, the burger restaurant and take-out stand put on display what it called a Starter Kit, a portable greenhouse for growing mushrooms indoors, in the comfort of one’s home. Basically, it was a wooden box 18 inches wide, 13 inches high and 13 inches deep, with one side open, protected by a lift-up transparent plastic cover.
To start the mushroom garden, there were a dozen plastic bags filled with growing medium and mushroom spores. A small pamphlet explained the simple watering (with a sprayer) and harvesting (twist the clump and pull out) instructions. The whole kit and caboodle cost only P200, or roughly $14 at the time.
As instructed, we placed the box in the most humid area in our flat (the bathroom) by anchoring two metal braces to the wall to hold the mini-garden in place. The kids took turns spraying water after lifting the plastic cover. The cover, when in place, maintained the right heat and humidity levels.
The mini garden was so productive we had to give a lot of mushrooms away to friends and neighbors. After several months, the growing material and spores were finally spent and we emptied the plastic bags into flower pots to enrich the soil.
Spoiled by a constant supply of freshly-harvested mushrooms with our meals, we returned to the Mushroom Burger farm and bought a dozen ready-to-grow oyster mushroom bags, which were then only P7 a piece. Our kids grew up, got married and left home. But I never threw out the mushroom starter kit box, which now serves as bathroom stock box for tissue paper rolls, soap, detergent, cleansers, shampoo and conditioners.
I remembered our mushroom garden last month when a nature-loving neighbor’s unique Christmas gift turned out to be a large bag of medium and large oyster mushrooms growing out of a hole on one side. Unfortunately, the bag had dried out (probably from being displayed too long without upkeep) and no amount of soaking and spraying could coax the spores to come back to life.
We have emailed the supplier, Ministry of Mushrooms {ministryofmushrooms@gmail.com), and also sent text (0917-5006874) to make arrangements for a dozen bags to re-start my 30-year-old mushroom garden.
Found out that each fruiting bag is P175, delivered free anywhere within Metro Manila on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The bags are also sold at the Salcedo Market every Saturday.
The Pearl Oyster Mushrooms harvested from the bag are much larger and have thicker flesh than the kind sold in 100-gram styropacks in supermarkets and upscale vegetable markets. The Lipa-based organic farmers also sell fresh mushrooms at P300 per kilo, delivered with a new recipe every week.
As a cook and gourmand, I thank the enterprising trio of Marco Lobregat, Jose Javier and Nano Sala for giving everyone a chance to experience the awe and joy of growing our own food.
(Source: Consumer Post by Sol Jose Vanzi – Manila Bulletin)
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