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nameko (Pholiota nameko), photo
Photo
Cultivated

NamekoPholiota nameko

Nameko is an edible mushroom cultivated in Japan. It is used in miso soup and valued for its gelatinous texture.[5]

Edible. Eat it cooked. Never eat a wild mushroom identified only from photos.

  • Season in Mexico
  • HabitatBroadleaf tree sawdust (cultivation)
  • FlavorSlightly nutty
  • GrowingMedium
  • FamilyStrophariaceae

How do you identify nameko?

nameko (Pholiota nameko), features to identify it
Photo: mycowalt, CC BY-SA 4.0, iNaturalist (cropped) · California, USA
Photo
nameko (Pholiota nameko), features to identify it
Photo: Apple2000, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons (cropped)
Cap
Yellowish brown, with a reddish brown center and a mucous coating.[6]
Stem
Short and cylindrical.[6]
Cultivated form
Forms clusters. Harvested specimens may have partly opened caps and a broken veil that previously covered the gills.[7]

Can you eat nameko?

Nameko is edible and is eaten cooked. If you forage wild specimens, confirm their identity with an experienced identifier and examine several traits, including spores when needed. Seek medical attention immediately if you suspect mushroom poisoning.[5][11]

How do you grow nameko?

Temperature

Colonization24–29 °C

Fruiting13–18 °C

Humidity

Colonization0–95 %

Fruiting0–92 %

Full cycle: 40 days

Light
Indirect

Substrates

  • Supplemented hardwood sawdust
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Substrate calculatorContamination guide

How do you cook nameko?

Has a gelatinous texture. You can cook it in miso soup, nabemono and stir-fries. It is also cooked fresh with grated radish or steamed.[3][5]

About the name

Index Fungorum retains Pholiota nameko as the current name.[1]

Fun facts

  • Nameko means “viscid mushroom” in Japanese.[5]
  • The mushrooms are also sold dried.[3]

Frequently asked questions

[5][6][11]

[3][5]

[3][5]

[6]

Sources

  1. Index Fungorum - Name Record: Pholiota nameko
  2. Correct name for “nameko”
  3. Pholiota microspora
  4. Pholiota nameko
  5. Production Technology — Department of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology
  6. Extraction, structure and bioactivities of polysaccharides from Pholiota nameko: a review
  7. Influence of Iron Addition (Alone or with Calcium) to Elements Biofortification and Antioxidants in Pholiota nameko
  8. Galerina marginata (MushroomExpert.Com)
  9. Galerina marginata at Indiana Mushrooms
  10. Flammulina velutipes (MushroomExpert.Com)
  11. Wild Mushroom Safety: Identification, Cooking, and Poison Awareness

Written with AI help from the cited sources. A second model checked every fact against those sources and removed what they did not support.

Image credits

Photos are under free licenses (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).

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