A
mushroom of the
Asian variety, used extensively in all
Eastern Chinese cooking. They are larger than the Western mushrooms everyone is familiar with. They have a black
cap (hence the name), and a white
stalk. I advise against eating them
raw. Cooked, they have a soft
texture, but not
flabby, more like
chewy. Very
tasty.
They are never served alone, but always as an accompaniment to other dishes. Soups are a favorite, especially with abalone and chicken, two of my favorite soups. They also go very well with vegetables, seafoods and tofu. Never serve them dried, always wet them in soup, water or sauce.
A dish I particularly like is the shrimp-tofu served with mushrooms. Slice the tofus into cubes, and cut holes in them. Insert the shrimp into the holes. Prepare the tofu the usual way, toss in some oil, a bit of vegetables and mushrooms, season with Chinese onions. Yummy!