Nutritional value of wild mushrooms in Northeast China

It is understood that the Northeastern wild hazel mushroom is an edible fungus that grows in the mountainous areas of Northeast China. Like the meat mushroom, it is one of the very few edible fungi that cannot be cultivated artificially. Hazel mushrooms are sweet and cold in nature. In addition to being a delicious dish on the table, they are also commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat diseases and maintain health.

Nutritional value of wild mushrooms in Northeast China

1. Hazel mushrooms are rich in calcium, phosphorus, iron and other trace elements, protein, carotene, vitamin C and other nutrients, which are more than ten times that of ordinary vegetables. They are listed as a Class I food by some developed countries.

2. Hazel mushrooms are not only edible, but also medicinal. They have the functions of dispelling wind, activating collaterals, strengthening tendons and bones. They are often used to treat epilepsy, back and leg pain, rickets, etc. Regular consumption can prevent vision loss, night blindness, dry skin, and enhance resistance to respiratory and digestive tract infectious diseases.

3. Regular consumption of wild hazel mushrooms is very effective in preventing vision loss and night blindness. At the same time, hazel mushrooms also have the same effects as Gastrodia elata in dispelling wind and activating collaterals, strengthening tendons and bones, and calming the nerves. Its polysaccharides have pharmacological and health-care effects such as anti-radiation, promoting hematopoiesis, regulating immune function, and inhibiting tumor growth.

4. There are several ways to eat hazel mushrooms: stewing, braising, and frying. Stewing chicken is the most common Northeastern dish. There is a saying in Northeast China: "When a son-in-law comes home, the chicken is scared to death." This sentence is about the importance of stewing chicken with hazel mushrooms. There is such a custom in Northeast China that when a new son-in-law comes to his mother-in-law's house for the first time, the mother-in-law will cook the traditional Northeastern hazel mushroom stewed chicken to entertain the new son-in-law.