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| Mushroom Farm |
| Do you dare enter this underground cavern of culinary delights? |
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Shiitake? Shimeji? Enokitaki? If you were an Asian cuisine lover you’d know that these are names of exotic mushrooms. Boasting extraordinary shapes, flavours and textures, exotic mushrooms are being bred here in Australia for their distinct and authentic Asian flavours. Our House visited an abandoned railway tunnel in the southern highlands of NSW, where the conditions are perfect for cultivating these highly-coveted fungi. Welcome to Arrold’s Spawn Laboratory. Step carefully.
In this cool, moist environment, lit only by dim, artificial light, live millions of spores, feeding off a mixture of sterilised sawdust to form mushrooms. With bizarre shapes and textures, these are not your average white button mushrooms, but exotic varieties that are creeping into Asian-inspired dishes all over the country.
Dr Noel Arrold, microbiologist and owner, relays the tunnel’s history. “It was built in 1866 as part of the rail link between Sydney and Goulburn. In 1919, with the growth of Canberra, the railway was expanded and the tunnel was abandoned. It is the perfect environment for growing certain varieties of exotic mushrooms as the temperature inside is a constant 16°C and the humidity is maintained at 90 per cent.”
Before the mushrooms are exposed to these conditions, they undergo an elaborate process in the spawn laboratory, a sterile environment free of unwanted moulds that may harm the mushroom spores.
It’s here the secret sawdust recipe comes into play as a food source for the mushroom spores. “It took me two years to find a blend of Australian sawdust that we could use,” Noel says. “In Asia, the mushroom varieties taste different because the sawdust is from different trees.”
Noel began to grow exotic mushrooms in response to requests from restaurateurs experimenting with new flavours and creating more authentic Asian-style dishes. The wood ear, a fungus with a gelatinous feel and the look of a mutant body part, is thinly sliced to give stir-fries a crunchy texture. Shimejis grow in clusters similar to coral and have an intense mushroom flavour much loved by the Japanese. The delicate, straw-like enoki mushrooms are used for their mild flavour as well as their aesthetic value. The full-bodied shiitakes have lent their meaty flavour to Japanese and Chinese cooking for more than 2000 years.
One of Sydney’s premier chefs, Tetsuya Wakuda, believes the shiitake mushrooms from Arrold’s Spawn Laboratory are the very best available. In addition to the Asian exotic mushrooms, Arrold’s grow two European-style mushrooms, Swiss browns and chestnuts. It takes up to 3 months for a mushroom to grow. From growers to pickers there is a staff of around 14 people who work between the tunnel and the laboratory.
Mushroom Varieties
The mushroom is a fungus, and its method of reproduction was discovered by the French in 1678, who began growing them in caves. Modern cultivation methods were developed over the following centuries. The cultivation of the common mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) is a thriving industry and these high-quality graded mushrooms represent the type most people buy regularly. But for those who are keen to experiment and go beyond the normal ‘mushie’, the exotic varieties add a whole new dimension to the shape, flavour and texture.
Asian exotic varieties include
Shiitake – Also known as the Japanese mushroom. It is more delicate in appearance than the common mushroom, having a brown cap and meaty flavour. Its perfume is more noticeable in the dried form.
Oyster – Also known as the abalone mushroom, the oyster is a large fungus that is shaped like an oyster shell and has a very delicate flavour. It is pearly-white to beige and occasionally apricot-pink in colour.
Enokitake – A long-stemmed, tiny-capped, slightly crunchy, creamy mushroom. It is delicate in flavour and much appreciated in Asian cooking, especially when added to clear soups. It is also known as the golden needle mushroom.
Shimeji – Japanese for “mushroom that grows in damp areas”. The shimeji has a little grey cap on a long white stem. Used in stir-fries.
Wood Ear – Also known as ‘black fungus’. The Wood Ear is named as its shape resembles an ear. It is a brown / black coloured mushroom. Used in all Asian cooking to give texture contrast.
European Mushroom varieties include
Swiss brown – This is the same species as the common and cultivated mushroom. It was in the 1920s that a mutant strain with a white rather than chestnut-brown top appeared. Market preference was for a white mushroom, so that what was the norm has now become the exotic. The Swiss brown is more robust in flavour than the white cultivated mushroom.
Chestnut – A long woody stem and a small brown cap. So named due to its crunchy texture. Both cap and stem can be eaten.
NB: All of the above are grown at Arrold’s Spawn Laboratory.
The Growing Process
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The underside of mushroom contains spores (seed). The spore is taken and germinated onto an agar plate and nutrient (such as boiled potato or malt extract) is added.
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Once spore has germinated the mycelium or culture is placed onto a sterilised wheat grain. The spawn then grows all over the grain.
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The spawn is then sown into a special blend of sterile sawdust.
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The mushrooms are grown and incubated in big plastic crates.
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After incubation the mushrooms are transported to the tunnel where the conditions are suitable for optimum growth.
Mushroom Buying Tips
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Choose cultivated buttons or caps with white tops (unless buying Swiss browns), as any discolouration means they are old. Such specimens are, however, fine for soup. Reject any mushroom that is withered.
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Store mushrooms in the refrigerator in paper bags so the mushrooms breathe and stay dry. If you purchase mushrooms in styro-foam trays covered in plastic wrap, prick the plastic before storing in the refrigerator or transfer to a bowl covered in paper towel to prevent the mushrooms sweating and deteriorating.
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Do not wash mushrooms as they can become waterlogged, ruining the taste. If the mushrooms are dirty, wipe them with a cloth or paper towel.
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Do not overcook mushrooms or cook them in too much liquid for long periods of time as this ruins the mushrooms’ texture.
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More Info
Exotic mushrooms are available from most major food chain stores, fruit and vegetable shops and specialty food suppliers.
Don't miss Reg's mouth-watering recipe for Mushroom ragout.
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Disclaimer
All Fact Sheets and other material on the Our House website are provided as a general information service only and should not be relied upon as a substitute for the advice of a properly qualified tradesman. Neither ninemsn nor its licensors (including the Nine Network) assume or accept any responsibility for, and will not be liable for the accuracy or appropriate application of any information whatsoever in any Fact Sheet or other material on the Our House web site. Your use of the Our House web site is governed by this disclaimer and the ninemsn's Terms of Use.
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