Meitake (mushroom ram)

Before us is an incredibly interesting mushroom that has unique healing properties. In general, we mainly appreciate mushrooms for their taste qualities, the possibility of using them in cooking. Plus, we partially pay tribute to the medicinal properties. However, there are other types of mushrooms, the main value of which lies precisely in the ability to help a person, improve his health, and cope with a number of problems. Maitake (Grifola frondoza - curly griffon) is just such a mushroom.

In addition to "meitake", it is also called "dancing mushroom", or "ram mushroom". This is a giant plant, the base diameter of which can reach 50 centimeters. Some individual bunches weigh 4 kilograms. Wild-growing meitake is harvested from early September to late October. It has a rich taste and pleasant aroma.

The mushroom has a rather original shape, one might even say curly. Grows in large colonies.

This is a rare mushroom with incredible healing properties. It is because of them that meitake is so highly valued. However, for the same reason, the places of its growth have always been carefully hidden.

It is most widespread in Japan, China, and Tibet. It was here that the healing properties of meitake were first discovered many centuries ago. However, modern science took up its study only about 30 years ago.It is a pity, since the properties of the fungus have not yet been studied in detail, but it hides a huge potential in terms of treating very serious diseases.

The mushroom does not grow in Russia. Although some gardeners have recently been trying to start cultivating this plant.

If you have dried mushrooms in front of you, then put them in an airtight container. Preferably plastic or glass. Place in a cool place where the temperature will not exceed 15 degrees. Make sure there are no sources of heat or excessive moisture nearby.

Meitake is included in the list of legendary mushrooms that are used in Chinese folk medicine.

• Its history goes back many centuries. In fact, the knowledge about him is as ancient as the legends about dragons and elixirs that give eternal youth.
• Despite its long history, modern pharmacology has only recently studied it and discovered its medicinal properties based on scientific data and analysis of the composition of the fungus.
• This mushroom grows mainly in very inaccessible places, in the depths of forests.
• The mushroom seems to consciously choose a dark, warm place under the roots of fruit trees.
• Most often, meitake can be found under trees such as peach, apricot, cherry or plum, although occasionally it grows under oak. Many believe that it is the choice of the place of development that forms such a pleasant taste and exquisite aroma in meitake, which can be compared with expensive perfumes.
• It is always difficult to search for this mushroom, because its camouflage abilities are excellent.It merges with the color of fallen leaves, and outwardly looks like ordinary growths characteristic of tree trunks and roots. Because of this, mushroom pickers simply often pass by meitake.

As it turned out during the research of the fungus, it has an attractive nutritional value.

100 grams of this product accounts for:

Mushrooms also contain 0.53 grams of ash and 90.37 grams of water.

Also, meitake is characterized by a certain chemical composition that distinguishes it from many other mushrooms. Of the main elements, the following can be noted:

• Proteins;
• Cage;
• Carbohydrates;
• Vitamins PP, B9 and D;
• B vitamins (B1, B2, B3)
• Polysaccharides;
• Amino acids;
• Zn, Se, P, Na, Mg, Ca, K.

Chinese healers (let's call them that) became aware of the beneficial properties of this mushroom many centuries ago. For some reason, modern medicine ignored the many stories and healing possibilities of meitake for a long time and took up its study only a few decades ago. Who knows, if this had happened earlier, now it would be possible to study the mushroom in much more detail and discover new properties in it.

As for the already known useful features, they are as follows:

• The fungus resists viruses, bacteria, has a detrimental effect on the hepatitis C and B virus;
• Relieves inflammation, tumors;
• Improves immunity;
• Helps women with menopause;
• Normalizes the functioning of the nervous system;
• Improves mood;
• Prevents the degeneration of a malignant tumor;
• Breaks down fat;
• Reduces pressure;
• Helps with diabetes;
• Fight against malignant and benign tumors;
• The combined use of meitake and current cancer treatments provides an effective result (proven by experts);
• Restores the liver;
• Acts as a prophylactic against SARS, influenza, smallpox and other viral diseases;
• Allows you to cope with tuberculosis;
• Eliminate chronic fatigue;
• Helps strengthen bones, therefore it is useful for the elderly;
• Effectively reduces weight.

It is not at all necessary to go to the forests to find meitake. Thanks to the research, now it can be purchased at the pharmacy. Meitake is sold in powder or capsule form.

As such, this fungus does not carry any harm. There are just certain contraindications:

• It can not be used in the presence of individual intolerance, which is quite natural;
• Also, do not take during pregnancy and breastfeeding;
• It is advisable not to offer mushrooms to children under the age of 12.

The aroma of meitake is rich in mushrooms, although there is a certain hint of a bread smell. In some cases, sweet motives are observed. It is from them that tea bags are produced in America by adding mushroom powder to tea leaves.

There are more than enough options for cooking maitake. Despite the fact that it is valued primarily for its taste, still no one bothers you to cook some delicious dishes from it. Here are the brightest ones.

• They are baked with shrimp, almonds, spices and cheese are added. Incredibly tasty and healthy.
• You can also prepare tonic drinks. To do this, take dried mushrooms and chop them properly.
• Many people make sauces, broths, vegetable soups from meitake.They can be added as a filling for dumplings or dumplings.
• They serve as an excellent seasoning for salads, drinks.
• Mushrooms can serve as an independent dish, or play the role of a side dish, which is recommended to be served with hodgepodge, fried or stewed potatoes.
• In Japan, meitake is a staple of the traditional miso soup recipe. It only takes 20 minutes to make it. Just keep in mind that you need to add the mushroom at the very end of cooking the soup, which will allow the meitake not to boil. It will take literally 5-8 minutes to cook the mushroom over medium heat.
• If you are cooking dried mushrooms for a salad or main course, do it over low heat. In addition, it is better not to pour out the water after cooking. The fact is that the broth turns out to be very rich and tasty, and therefore it is perfect for making soup, sauce or other dishes.
• In Korea, it is customary to fry and steam maitake. Frying for more than 20 minutes is not recommended.

And now we will tell you how to cook one of the most delicious and healthy pizzas. It is tasty because excellent ingredients are used here, and healthy because one of the main ingredients is the meitake mushroom.

Ingredients:

• Pizza dough (you can make your own or buy a ready-made base);
• 450 grams of meitake;
• 250 grams of fontina cheese (can be replaced with suluguni);
• 30 grams of Gorgonzola cheese;
• 3 tbsp olive oil;
• 4 cloves of garlic;
• 1 small onion or shallot;
• Spices to taste.

Cooking:

• Turn on the oven, preheat it to about 220 degrees. If the dough is thick, bake it a little beforehand; if it is thin, this is not necessary;
• Heat the pan properly, chop the garlic, chop the shallots (or onions), quickly fry them for literally 30 seconds. Garlic and onions should not burn;
• Now add chopped meitake there, fry over high heat until most of the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated. This will take about 3-5 minutes. If you like, you can add 50 ml of dry wine at this stage;
• Saute the mushrooms until the wine has evaporated. Maitake should be brown or dark gray in color. Turn off the pan.
• Take the dough. If you baked it before, let it cool. After that, spread the gorgonzola cheese on the dough;
• Next comes a layer of fried meitake with vegetables, fontina (or suluguni) cheese. Try to spread the cheese evenly;
• Place the pizza in the oven and bake until done. Cheese should acquire a ruddy color.
• It can be eaten as a main course or used as an appetizer. Best served warm, not hot. Pairs well with quality red wines.

Thanks to the study of beneficial properties, we have already managed to find out how useful this mushroom is from the point of view of medicine.

Therefore, now we will share with you several recipes and ways to use meitake, aimed at improving, preventing and treating serious diseases.

With its help, they cope with obesity, a wide list of diseases that we talked about. In addition, the tincture stimulates an increase in immunity, helps in the fight against tumors.

Cooking. Take 3 tbsp. dried mushroom, chop it and pour vodka. Close the bottle tightly, insist for 14 days, placing in a dark and cool place. You don't need to strain. Drink along with the resulting sediment.

Reception. You need to take the remedy 2-3 times a day for half an hour before meals. Depending on the severity of the disease, one serving is 1-3 tsp. Course - 90-120 days.

Wine prepared with the addition of meitake will also help to cope with obesity, increase immunity, and cure tumors of a different nature.

Cooking. You will need 3 tbsp. dried mushroom, which needs to be chopped. Pour the mixture with high-quality Cahors wine, close the container tightly and infuse for 14 days in a dark and cool place. Don't strain.

Reception. Wine is taken by analogy with tincture. Same portions, same conditions. The course also lasts from 90 to 120 days.

With its help, a person can effectively cope with such problems as obesity. The tool is able to break down fats. It is also recommended to combine it with other folk and medical preparations aimed at combating cancerous tumors.

Cooking. You need 3 tbsp. dry meitake, which is crushed and poured with 500 ml of olive or linseed oil. Close the container, insist for 14 days, placing in a cool and dark place. Do not strain the oil, you need to drink with the sediment.

Reception. Oil is used, depending on the nature of the disease, 1.2 or 3 tsp. three times a day about half an hour before meals. The course lasts 90 days. Then a mandatory break is made for 10 days, after which the course can be repeated again.

It is suitable, in fact, to fight all the diseases that we talked about today. It is useful to have such a powder at home, add it to dishes for prevention, or simply use it diluted in water.

Cooking. Rinse the meitake, dry it and send it to a coffee grinder to turn it into a powder.Pour 1/2 gram powder into cups of boiled water. You need to insist about 8 hours.

Reception. Drink the mixture throughout the day for 3 doses. The powder is consumed 20 minutes before a meal. Be sure to shake so that the sediment rises and you can drink it. The course of treatment lasts at least 90 days. If the disease is serious, the course is extended and, in fact, has no time limits.

The created maitake mushroom extract is one of the important steps towards exploring the true potential of this plant. It is huge, and experts admit that they have not been able to fully extract all the benefits from meitake so far.

The mushroom has already managed to show its good side as a means for the treatment and prevention of cancer. But doctors are sure that this is not the limit.

Meitake extract has the following medicinal properties:

• It activates the immune functions of our body, which are responsible for the fight against cancer. As a result, the cells are destroyed, the tumor is inhibited in development.
• Improves metabolism, relieves excess weight, blocks the accumulation of fat.
• Normalizes menopausal manifestations in women.
• It helps to reduce or completely eliminate the unpleasant sensations characteristic of premenstrual syndrome.
• Removes bad cholesterol.
• Reduces blood pressure, helps people with hypertension.
• Activates the work of the immune system, aimed at combating viral diseases.
• Blocks cirrhosis, regenerates liver cells.

Meitake extract can be used for the following diseases:

• With high blood pressure. The tool cleanses blood vessels, removes cholesterol, normalizes the work of the heart;
• With problems associated with the endocrine system;
• With diabetes. According to studies that were conducted back in 1994, eating maitake mushroom can improve the metabolism of insulin and glucose;
• With liver damage of a viral and toxic nature;
• With fungal infections;
• In acute viral diseases and infections;
• With the problem of obesity. Maitake, by the way, is included in many effective programs aimed at weight loss.

In fact, the useful features of this extract can be listed for a very, very long time. However, the main thing is that such a drug already exists today. With its help, you can solve a number of problems related to our health.

The history of the beginning of the use of this mushroom goes back to about the 4th or 5th century AD.

For the first time it began to be used in Japan and China, having discovered the medicinal properties of the fungus. First of all, local healers and healers prescribed meitake for those who had problems with immunity.

In the wild, meitake can be found in forests in Japan, and less often in China.

According to the legends of the ancestors, meitake got its other name "dancing mushroom" for a reason. This is due to the fact that earlier, when collecting it, the mushroom picker had to perform a ritual dance. It was believed that if this was not done, all the medicinal properties of the found mushroom would disappear.

But other sources believe that the name "dancing mushroom" appeared during feudalism. Then the poor occasionally found this mushroom in the forests, in connection with which they started dancing for joy.Not surprising, since a person received as much silver as the found mushroom weighs.

In Japan, the mushroom is called differently - geisha mushroom. We will not remind you who geisha are, but we note that the mushroom got such a name due to the fact that women always remained slim and beautiful with its help.

According to recent studies of the fungus, it is able to destroy the HIV virus. This has been scientifically proven, so appropriate drugs are now being developed. Who knows, maybe thanks to meitake we will be able to overcome this disease.