Hypsizygus tessulatus

Hypsizygus tessulatus, the beech mushroom, is an edible mushroom^[3] native to East Asia. It is cultivated locally in temperate climates in Europe, North America and Australia and sold fresh in super markets. In nature, these are gilled mushrooms that grow on wood. Most often the mushroom is found on beech trees, hence the common name. Cultivated versions are often small and thin in appearance and popular in many nations across the world.^[4]

Hypsizygus tessulatus
Wild sample identified as "marmoreus", Mount Hotaka (Gunma).
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Fungi
Division:	Basidiomycota
Class:	Agaricomycetes
Order:	Agaricales
Family:	Lyophyllaceae
Genus:	Hypsizygus
Species:	H. tessulatus
Binomial name
Hypsizygus tessulatus (Bull.) Singer (1947)[1]
Synonyms
Hypsizygus tessellatus common misspelling[2] Hypsizygus marmoreus Peck[3][a] Hypsizygus elongatipes (Peck) H.E.Bigelow[2] Pleurotus elongatipes (Peck) H.E.Bigelow[3]

Mycological characteristics
	Gills on hymenium
	Cap is convex
	Stipe is bare
	Spore print is white to buff
	Ecology is saprotrophic
	Edibility is choice

Two commercial variations, both originating from Japan, are known:

• Buna-shimeji (ja:ブナシメジ), wild type brown coloration. Known as brown beech mushroom, beech mushroom, brown clamshell mushroom;
• Bunapi-shimeji (ja:ブナピー) is a white UV-induced mutant of the former, known as white beech mushroom, white clamshell mushroom. The original strain is registered by Hokto Corporation.

Taxonomy

A radical alternative view based on ITS DNA barcoding is that all members of the genus are the same species.^[5][6]

Similar species

This fungus may be confused with Hypsizygus ulmarius, which grows on elm.^[7]

Uses

Being tough when raw,^[8] the Shimeji should be cooked, having a bitter taste when raw which disappears completely upon cooking. The cooked mushroom has a firm, slightly crunchy texture and a nutty flavor. Preparation makes the mushroom easier to digest. It is often eaten with stir-fried foods including wild game and seafood. It is used in soups, stews and sauces. When prepared alone, Shimeji mushrooms can be sautéed as a whole, including the stem or stalk (only the very end cut off), using a higher temperature; or, they can be slow roasted on a low temperature with a small amount of butter or cooking oil. Shimeji is used in soups, nabe and takikomi gohan.

Gallery

• 
  White, cultured
• 
  White, cultured
• 
  Brown, cultured
• 
  Brown, cultured
• 
  Brown, cultured
• 
  White, cultured, Bunapi (Hokto Ltd. develops)
• 
  In Korean bokkeum (stir-fry)

See also

• Fungi portal

• List of Japanese ingredients
• Medicinal mushrooms
• Shimeji

Notes

1. Most commonly attributed to the commercially-cultured strains.^[2]

References

1. http://www.mycobank.org/name/Hypsizygus%20tessulatus&Lang=Eng
2. Kuo, M (March 2018). "Hypsizygus tessulatus". MushroomExpert.Com.
3. Miller Jr., Orson K.; Miller, Hope H. (2006). North American Mushrooms: A Field Guide to Edible and Inedible Fungi. Guilford, CN: FalconGuide. p. 156. ISBN 978-0-7627-3109-1.
4. "Brown Beech Mushroom - Hypsizygus Tesselatus." Brown Beech Mushroom - Hypsizygus Tesselatus. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Dec. 2014.^{[citation needed]}
5. Bellanger, J. -M.; Moreau, P. -A.; Corriol, G.; Bidaud, A.; Chalange, R.; Dudova, Z.; Richard, F. (April 2015). "Plunging hands into the mushroom jar: a phylogenetic framework for Lyophyllaceae (Agaricales, Basidiomycota)". Genetica. 143 (2): 169–194. doi:10.1007/s10709-015-9823-8. PMID 25652231. S2CID 15318615.
6. Norvell, Lorelei (February 2017). "The Regular Column: That nudum is a nuda?". Mushroom, the Journal of Wild Mushrooming. 4 (6–9).
7. "Hypsizygus tessulatus". www.messiah.edu.
8. Phillips, Roger (2010). Mushrooms and Other Fungi of North America. Buffalo, NY: Firefly Books. p. 238. ISBN 978-1-55407-651-2.

External links

• Bunashimeji and Bunapi, Hokuto Corporation.