Flamulina velutipes
Common Names: Enoki, Enokitake, Winter Mushroom
Type: Gourmet, Medicinal
Believe it or not, Enoki is one of the most commonly grown mushrooms in the world. It is most often grown with intentionally elongated stems and tiny caps. This mushroom is used in Asian cooking, but also has medicinal properties.
The Japanese have been growing Enoki for over 300 years! It was originally grown outdoors on logs, but cultivation methods have since evolved to use the highly productive “bottle-culture” techniques.
Light and CO2 levels can have a huge impact on the appearance of Enoki fruit bodies.
When found in the wild it has a large cap and brown-red features. When grown in a bottle culture, it forms tight clusters of tiny thin-stemmed mushrooms with minuscule white caps. The two are almost unrecognizable!