茸(きのこ)

Usually written キノコ in food writing and on packaging; 茸(きのこ) is the kanji form, and きのこ in hiragana is also common.

Types

• 椎茸(しいたけ) (shiitake)
• しめじ (shimeji)
• 榎茸(えのきだけ) (enoki)
• 舞茸(まいたけ) (maitake)
• エリンギ (king trumpet mushroom)
• なめこ (nameko, a small slippery mushroom used in 味噌汁(みそしる))
• マッシュルーム (button mushroom)
• 松茸(まつたけ) (matsutake, prized for its 香(かお)り and very expensive)

Common collocations

• 茸(きのこ)が生(は)える - mushrooms grow (in a wood, on a log)
• 茸(きのこ)を採(と)る - to gather mushrooms
• 茸(きのこ)を炒(いた)める - to stir-fry mushrooms

Compounds

• 茸(きのこ)狩(が)り (mushroom hunting, an 秋(あき) pastime)
• 茸(きのこ)鍋(なべ) (mushroom hot pot)
• 干(ほ)し椎茸(しいたけ) (dried shiitake, a basic stock ingredient)

Cultural note

Mushrooms are strongly associated with 秋(あき) cooking. Wild-picking is popular but risky: 毒(どく)茸(きのこ) such as ツキヨタケ and ベニテングタケ closely resemble edible species, and poisonings are reported every autumn.