● Species profile
Straw Mushroom
Volvariella volvacea
Photo: Chong Fat, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The small egg-shaped mushroom in canned goods and Southeast Asian curries, grown on rice straw in hot climates. It's picked before the cap opens. Never forage one yourself: young death caps look almost identical.
Historical Use and Context
Straw mushroom cultivation began in southern China around the 1700s. Tradition credits monks at Nanhua Temple in Guangdong, who grew it on rice straw. Chinese emigrants carried the method across Southeast Asia in the early 20th century.
How to Cook Straw Mushroom
- Flavor
- Mild, delicate
- Texture
- Slippery outside, soft inside
- Best ways to cook
- Curries, tom yum, and stir-fries.
- Pairs with
- Lemongrass, lime leaf, coconut milk, chili, fish sauce
- Prep tip
- Rinse canned ones to remove the tinny taste. Halve before cooking.
- Storage
- Canned: pantry. Once opened, fridge in fresh water, 2 to 3 days.
Cooking isn't only about flavor. Mushroom cell walls are built from chitin, which is hard to digest raw. Heat breaks it down, which helps your body get at the beta-glucans and other compounds the research focuses on.
Similar Culinary Mushrooms
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