All hippie jokes aside, there are very few things I love more than really good fresh mushrooms. I already mentioned this when I went on my wild food tirade, but June marks the true start to the wild mushroom season in China and I feel compelled to dedicate an entire column to our fungal friends. For their sheer variety, breadth of flavor and multitude of culinary applications, mushrooms deserve special mention.

The Best Shrooms:
First off, I have absolutely nothing against domesticated mushrooms. I use them all over my menu. They are clean, delicious and consistent. But where mushrooms really shine are the varietals that we have yet to successfully domesticate. Brilliant orange lobster mushrooms, honey-combed morels and the elusive truffle–all are distinct in their flavors and textures but singular in their awesomeness. I can’t wait to put porcini raviolis back on the menu. Cepes, as they are also known, have a phenomenal meatiness and aroma combined with a supple chew that the Italians and French have fawned over for ages. All these bad boys and more are readily available in China, mostly from Yunnan, where the climate and abundant forestry are perfectly situated for fungal frenzy.

Where to Buy Them:
Check out Gusto or QQMushroom, my two favorite sources in Shanghai, and get yourself a kilogram of the good stuff and see for yourself.

How to Prepare:
To start, clean them. While cookbooks suggest that you avoid washing mushrooms as they absorb water, the truth is that mushrooms are composed of over 90 percent water, so a quick wash doesn’t do any harm.

How to Cook:
There are many ways to cook ’shrooms, but you just have to keep in mind their biological structure–when you apply heat or salt, they will lose water. So if sautéeing, make sure to use a big pan and don’t put too much in at once. Give them space to wring out and get a little bit of color. There are few things that make me sadder than poorly cooked mushrooms all shiny and bland. A few varietals are wonderful raw, but most mushrooms benefit from some hot action. Steam them, simmer them in stock, braise them alongside your main course, grill over charcoal–all are viable options. I’m a particular fan of pan-roasting with a knob of butter, garlic, shallots and thyme, but I’m always open to new ideas.

As always, I encourage you to wander over to your nearest market and pick up some samples. Let me know if you come up with any amazing recipes of your own.

Image by spacekadet

When Austin Hu isn't busy writing City Weekend's The Dish blog, he runs things over at Madison. Check out more of his articles here.