Nameko

Meaning slippery mushroom, nameko grows in Japan in autumn on the stumps and fallen trunks of broadleaf trees, such as beech. It has a small, 1-2 cm/½-¾ in diameter, orange-brown button cap covered by a very slippery, gelatinous substance, hence the name. Its thin stems, which are about 5cm/2 in long, are bunched together at the bottom. Nameko is now largely cultivated and those grown artificially on trees are regarded as better quality than those cultivated on wood chips.