Currently, mushrooms are a favorite dish for many people. Not only do they have high nutritional value, but they are also ingredients for delicious dishes. Below are the 10 rarest mushrooms found in Vietnam today.
1. Tam Truc Mushroom
Tam Truc Mushroom (also known as the queen mushroom) with the scientific name Dictyophora Indusiata typically grows naturally in the ground. When this mushroom is small, its upper part is a cone shape with a black or dark brown color covered by a slimy layer. When mature, the cap opens up with a yellow or white color. In Vietnam, this type of mushroom usually grows along rice paddies, bamboo groves, or riverbanks. Scientists have shown that extracts from Tam Truc mushrooms help prevent and treat diseases such as breast cancer in women, can cure gout, and boost the body’s immune system.
2. Sun Mushroom
Sun Mushroom (also known as the princess mushroom, royal mushroom, or God mushroom) originates from Brazil and is now cultivated in many places worldwide, including Vietnam.
Dong Thap was the first location where Sun Mushrooms appeared in our country. This mushroom has a cap that is gray, pink, or reddish-brown, with very fine fibers on it, while the stem is white. Sun Mushrooms contain a high protein content of 40-50%; they also contain vitamins such as B1, B2, vitamin K, and 6-8% fiber, particularly polysaccharides—which are very important in treating cancer. Currently, Sun Mushrooms have been researched for the formulation of functional foods and medicines.
3. Huang Huang Mushroom
Huang Huang Mushroom (also known as Hoang Son mushroom) is a yellow mushroom that belongs to a rare species in nature and has now been widely cultivated on an industrial scale. Huang Huang Mushroom is very effective in preventing the growth of cancer cells, especially breast cancer; it can also remove impurities to purify the blood, prevent excess fat in the body, helping to detoxify and regulate blood pressure.
4. Reishi Mushroom
Reishi Mushroom (also known as Immortal Herb, Longevity Mushroom, or Ten Thousand Year Mushroom) belongs to the Ganoderma family. This premium mushroom has many benefits such as boosting the immune system; cleansing the digestive system to treat constipation; promoting relaxation, preventing fatigue and stress; combating fatty liver disease or atherosclerosis; fighting cancer and inhibiting the growth of cancer cells; preventing and treating diabetes; enhancing skin beauty, etc.
5. Lion’s Mane Mushroom
Lion’s Mane Mushroom is widely distributed in East Asia and belongs to the Basidiomycetes class in the Aphyllophorales order and Hydnaceae family. This mushroom does not grow on the ground but on hardwood trees such as oaks or some decaying broadleaf trees.
Lion’s Mane Mushroom is often used to treat certain diseases such as peptic ulcers, gastrointestinal diseases, and other digestive disorders. Additionally, this mushroom has effects on Alzheimer’s disease, halting the aging process, helping to restore nerve neurons, boosting the immune system, and fighting metastatic lung cancer.
6. Fu Ling Tian Mushroom
Fu Ling Tian Mushroom has the ability to restore vitality and enhance the body’s energy, and remarkably, it can inhibit tumors, even shrinking malignant tumors. Its blood pressure stabilizing ability is unmatched by any other plant. The high price of this mushroom is primarily due to its cancer treatment properties.
Fu Ling Tian typically grows parasitically on pine tree roots and is located 20-30 cm underground. Its exterior is black-brown with a rough surface, and some areas may have bumps. The classification of this mushroom is based on color: white mushrooms are called Bai Ling; pink-gray mushrooms are called Chi Ling.
Fu Ling Tian has a much stronger effect than ginseng, especially for patients in critical conditions. Currently, this mushroom can be found in the Hoang Lien Son area in our country.
7. Termite Mushroom
Termite Mushroom, scientifically known as Termitomyces albuminosus, is a naturally occurring mushroom. This type of mushroom is not only delicious and nutritious but also has high economic value. Termite mushrooms only grow in high land with favorable climates, such as Ben Tre, Vinh Long, or some other provinces in the Southeast region, and they have a white stem that slightly turns yellow.
Currently, there are many scientific projects aimed at cultivating this mushroom, but they have not been successful, and its numbers are decreasing due to changes in climate and habitat.
8. Seafood Mushroom
Seafood Mushroom, also known as White Blood Mushroom, is white and has a flavor similar to seafood. It is rich in minerals and amino acids that help users enhance memory and gradually improve the nervous system. Furthermore, Seafood Mushroom helps boost the immune system, thus inhibiting and preventing cancer and many other dangerous diseases.
9. Golden Needle Mushroom
Golden Needle Mushroom typically appears at the end of autumn and the beginning of spring. Golden Needle Mushrooms are slightly small, with a long stem resembling a type of golden vegetable, growing in low-temperature areas, and can even survive in snowy climates. Golden Needle Mushrooms have a very delicious taste when cooked and have been famous in the culinary world for a long time due to their distinctive flavor. The flesh of young Golden Needle Mushrooms is very tender, containing many nutrients and eight different amino acids that are excellent for cancer prevention.
10. Chicken Fat Mushroom
Chicken Fat Mushroom contains components that help treat liver-related diseases such as hepatitis and cirrhosis; various cancers; and enhance the body’s resistance. Moreover, Chicken Fat Mushroom also helps prevent diseases related to blood fat, promoting blood circulation. This mushroom has a soft stem, a tall cap edge, and a concave cap that is a yellowish color resembling chicken fat. Additionally, Chicken Fat Mushroom is rich in fiber, helping women maintain their figure and health.
