Is it an animal? A vegetable? No, it's a fungus! Mushrooms share characteristics with both animals and vegetables, but they are fungi.
Some mushrooms are eatable, which improve the taste and appearance of any foods they are combined with. Fresh, dried and frozen, they can be done in many forms.
The highly prized matsutake mushroom, a fall delicious food in Japan, is one of the most expensive mushrooms in the world. It is mentioned in seventh-century Japanese poetry and has been enjoyed for thousands of years. Another high-quality fungus, the yartsa, is found in the Tibetan Plateau and sells for about US $2000 an ounce(盎司)!
Found everywhere is the more affordable shiitake mushroom. China produces over 80 percent of these tasty fungi. This delicious and healthy mushroom can reduce harmful materials in people's blood. The reishi mushroom has been used in Asia for years to treat diseases, such as lung problems and cancer. Though developed as food, it is often hard and distasteful, so most take it in pills.
Some mushrooms contain harmful materials that can kill. In fact, Asia's amanita exitialis is called "the destroying angel"because it is so deadly. People need to be careful when hunting for wild mushrooms. Unless one is experienced in mushrooms, it is easy to get it wrong.
