Edible Fungi In China Research Articles

The uses of ‘Gasteromycetes’

Culinary Uses Puffballs, especially the Giant Puffball (Calvatia gigantea) , have long had culinary value, despite the comment by Gerard (1597) that 'Fusse-balls are no way eaten'. They were, for example, evidently well known to the Greeks and Romans (Buller, 1915), and unsuccessful attempts at cultivation were carried out in Denmark more than 150 years ago (Ramsbottom, 1953). Most species are edible in their young stages before the spores develop, and their use in this condition remains widespread. Fries (1986), for example, recommends Lycoperdon gemmatum (= perlatum, Fig 1), amongst others, for drying and serving with oil, salt and pepper. Indeed, the Giant Puffball came 7th in a recent poll of 'Your Top Twenty Fungi' (Legg, 1990). However such use is not universal. The North American Iroquois, for example, according to one source, referred to puffballs as 'Devil's bread' (Burk, 1983). According to Smith (1951), some species of Calvatia and Lycoperdon have been implicated in 'violent gastrointestinal upsets', though this may result from eating specimens which are nearing maturity. In Central Africa, at least in Zambia and Malawi, puffballs are recognised and have received folk names but they have no particular significance (Piearce, 1981; Morris, 1984). However, various species of Calvatia, Langermannia, Lycoperdon and Vascellum are used as food items in some areas (Rammeloo & Walleyn, 1993). In North America, puffballs were apparently an important food commodity amongst Indian tribes. For example, the Zuni used large quantities of puffballs, both fresh and also dried for use during the winter months (Burk, 1983). They were also generally popular used in soups. In Mexico, a species of Lycoperdon is eaten by the Tepetuan of Durango (Gonzalez, 1991). Earthballs (Scleroderma spp.) have been used as adulteration for truffles and as a condiment but, nevertheless, are known to contain toxins (Lincoff & Mitchell, 1977). They should never be consumed in more than the tiniest quantities. Stinkhorns and their allies have little culinary value. However, the unexpanded eggs and the spongy stipes of some species of Phallus are edible and have been used in salads. In places, the eggs are pickled, and in Germany they are incorporated into sausages and are also sold as a kind of truffle (Dickinson & Lucas, 1979). Similarly, in North America several species are regarded as edible in the egg stage (McIlvaine, 1990). In China, Lysurus mokusin is eaten (Berkeley, 1857), and is said to be a great delicacy (Dickinson & Lucas, 1979). Perhaps the most important species in this respect is P. indusiatus. This is considered an excellent edible fungus by the Chinese (Liu, 1984b; Boa, 1988), and is cultivated for this purpose, both indoors and outdoors, in parts of China. Dictyophora rubrovolvata is also considered an excellent edible fungus in China (Liu, 1984b). In New Zealand, the gelatinous volva of species of Ileodictyon is eaten (Berkeley, 1857), the fungus being called by the Maoris 'Thunder dirt' (Steele, 1888). Clathrus ruber (Fig 2) is also said to be edible in the egg stage (Marchand, 1976), although an early account by Barla (1858) describes a case of poisoning by this species. Cooke (1862) also gives an alarming report of the development of violent convulsions and loss of speech in a young girl after eating this fungus. It reportedly took 'some months' before she was fully recovered. Several species of phalloid, including P. rubicundus and Dictyophora multicolor, are also regarded as poisonous (Liu, 1984a, b). It is also reported by Oso (1976) that the Nigerian people in general regard stinkhorns as poisonous.