Flammulina Velutipes
Enoki, Gemeiner Samtfußrübling, Enokitake, Golden Needle Mushroom
Flammulina velutipes was one of the first edible mushrooms which has been deliberately bred. Its cultivation was first mentioned in the late Tang Dynasty in China between the years 800 and 900; its cultivation thus began even before the cultivation of shiitake mushroom at about the year 1000 after Christ. In Japan these tasty fungus will be marketed under the name Enokitake – in short: Enoki and has in Japanese cuisine a special significance. He is similar popular than the shiitake mushroom. Worldwide the Enokitake is placed at number six on the list list of the world's most cultivated fungi.
The Enokitake is also called winter mushrooms, because the small, ice-resistant fruiting bodies grow during the winter months at cold temperatures. Its taste is nutty, and most delicious processed in soups.