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Explainer | Can I get sick from dried mushrooms? How to source, store, soak and cook this pantry staple for a Chinese mushroom feast like Janet Yellen had
- Yunnan in China is famous for its wild mushrooms, which are often dried and sold overseas to be rehydrated and are used in many Chinese dishes
- Experts talk about how to use them safely, why we should only buy from reputable sources, which wild mushrooms to eat raw and which need cooking
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They are a staple in every Asian family home and arguably more important than the perennial can of baked beans in the pantry.
Pre-packaged dried mushrooms are a versatile ingredient that give many Asian dishes a distinctive flavour, and are often used in soups, stews and stir-fries.
When we throw a few of these into a bowl of hot water to rehydrate them for cooking, most of us don’t give them a second thought.
While there is danger associated with eating the wrong wild mushrooms – such as the death cap, responsible for most lethal poisonings worldwide – some may wonder if there are similar risks associated with cooking using commercially prepared dried mushrooms.
Most cases of people eating poisonous mushrooms are usually when they go foraging by themselves or with an inexperienced guide
“The chances are almost zero,” says Nelson Wong, owner and founder of J’s Garden, a retailer and importer of mushrooms from China.
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