Donggu Shaoji

In the markets of Yunnan I saw more varieties of fresh mushrooms than in any other region of China. I learned that the province produces over two hundred edible varieties, many of which reminded me of the French cep. Another kind I recognized, the oyster mushroom, is cultivated now even outside China. But the most famous of the Yunnan mushrooms is the Jizong, or the “chicken mushroom,” so called because its shape resembles a cock’s comb and because its texture is like that of chicken. No