Bamboo Fungus Culture

Bamboo fungus is one of the most precious edible mushrooms in the world. After its buds bloom, a spongy jade column is quickly erected, topped with a hat-shaped fungus cover and draped with a circle of whirling white gown. Its beautiful form is extremely unique in the entire grass mushroom world. Coupled with its fragrant smell, delicious flavor, tender texture, refreshing and non-greasy, excellent taste, it has been crowned with many laurels.

The name “Bamboo Fungus” was first used in the Qing Dynasty official Xue Muchen's “Vegetarianism”. The original meaning of “fungus” is a kind of herb, also known as “Tsuen”, which Xue named after it, reflecting the characteristics of this delicious edible fungus in a very vivid way. However, before Xue's naming, there were many interesting aliases in different parts of China, which reflected some characteristics of this large fungus from one side or another. For example: “bamboo pith”, “bamboo ginseng”, “bamboo flower”, “bamboo pine”, “Flower Net Mushroom”, ‘Bitternut Umbrella’, ‘Monk's Hat Mushroom’ and so on.

The earliest written reference to bamboo fungus is in the Tang Dynasty in China, Duan Chengshi (? -863 years) by (Youyang miscellany altar), in volume 19 of the following records (brackets for today's note) Liang Jianwendi Yanxiang Yuan, Datong ten years (554 years AD) bamboo forest spit a Chi, eight inches long (about 25 cm), the head cover like chicken solid (gorgonian), black, its handle like lotus root handle, the inner through the dry air, the cortex are white, the root of the next slightly red. Chicken head solid like bamboo joints, take off and get off also. From the section of a separate weight, such as knot net Luo, four sides of the circumference can be five or six inches (about 14 to 15 cm), around the circumference to cover the handle, far from each other. It looks like a net of eyes light and lovely, and the handle are free from each other. Inspection of the book, and “Wei Xi Zhi” similar to the same book is also contained: into the style of Xiuzhu Li private study before, there are a number of branches of withered Bauhinia wormwood folding, because of the felling of the remaining feet of Xu. To three years (A.D. 838) in the fall, withered roots on the fungus, as big as a bucket (about 2000 ml), under the cloth five feet (suspected five inches of the error, that is, 17 cm), top yellow and white and halo green, hanging skirt such as a goose sailing (arrow bag), more than a foot high (about 33 cm) to the midday discoloration and death, burning gas such as linen incense!

The earliest record of bamboo fungus being used as a delicacy is found in the “Tribute Book” of the Confucius House in Qufu, Shandong Province. The book records that in the 49th year of Emperor Qianlong's reign in the Qing Dynasty (1784 AD), on the 10th day of the 2nd month, the Emperor (Hongli) arrived at the Kong Mansion on a tour and the Kong Mansion offered the dish as a tribute. Emperor Qianlong (Hongli) tour arrived at the Confucian House, the Confucian House to “Qiongmai Yan seat” to offer, including “milk soup bamboo fungus”. The Qing court's Manchu banquet has “Longjing bamboo fungus soup” and “Bird's Nest Eight Immortals Soup” with bamboo fungus as a dish. Qing Dynasty Tongzhi five years (1866 AD) into the book of “feast models rich delicacies according to the sample tune Dingxin Records” in a large number of bamboo fungus recipes, such as “bamboo fungus duck”, “cold bamboo pine”, “stuffed bamboo ginseng ”, “braised bamboo fungus” and so on. Recipes for bamboo fungus are also common in all major cuisines in North and South China.

Bamboo fungus likes humidity and is afraid of heat. It grows mostly in spring or fall, and the suitable temperature is 16-26℃, too high or too low temperature will lead to the decline of the growth rate of bamboo fungus. During the growth period of bamboo fungus mycelium, the water content of the culture medium is required to be controlled between 60-70%, below 30% mycelium dehydration and death; higher than 75%, the permeability of the medium is poor and the mycelium suffocates to death due to lack of oxygen. The relative humidity should be increased to 85% from the date of bud maturation to the date of breakage; after the breakage to the elongation of the mycelium stalk, it should be around 90%. The mushroom skirt opening should be more than 94%. Under the same temperature conditions, raising the environmental humidity can accelerate the growth of bamboo fungus. Dictyostelium is an aerobic fungus, which needs oxygen not only in the growth stage of mycelium, but especially after the physiological maturity of mycelium, it needs to be supplied with more oxygen when the protocorm is formed at the front end of mycelium.

Reasons for slow growth of bamboo fungus

1. Dictyostelium is an aerobic fungus that requires relatively less oxygen during the mycelial growth stage, while the demand for oxygen is greater during the formation stage of the fruiting body. The closed environment of the medium may result in an insufficient supply of oxygen, which is unfavorable to the continued development of the fruiting body of Dictyostelium;

2. Dictyostelium funiculatum likes humidity, and placing the medium gel for too long will cause the colloidal water to dissipate, resulting in the humidity within the medium not meeting the requirements for the growth of Dictyostelium funiculatum; the change of seasons in Shenzhen lowered the temperature, resulting in the growth of Dictyostelium funiculatum slowing down or even stopping;

3. Bamboo fungus doesn't need light during its mycelial growth stage, even under general indoor light conditions will slow down the growth of mycelium, and the mycelium will even change color and age.