Fungi
Sometimes it is very difficult to translate food names and the names of various dishes into English. Last night, I went out to dinner with my friend Leo and his family. Leo ordered one of his favorite dishes, one that I usually eat and like, but have never known what exactly it was. I began probing and this was the resultant conversation:
Me: “What is this?”
Leo: “I don’t know.”
Me: “Is it a vegetable or meat?”
Leo: “It is a vegetable. It is ok. Try it!”
Me: “It looks like a mushroom, is it a mushroom?”
Leo: “Yes, the same.”
Me: “What does that mean? Is it a mushroom?”
Leo: “No, it isn’t a mushroom.”
Me: “Then why is it the same as a mushroom?”
Leo: “It is from wood?”
Me: “Does it grow on wood, like mold?”
Leo: “Use your dictionary to look it up.”
I then plugged the Chinese word, 木耳 （mù ěr）, into my dictionary, and got the definition “Edible Tree Fungus!”
So my question to you all is this……if you were in a restaurant in the U.S. and you saw that the menu contained “Edible Tree Fungus,” would you ever consider ordering it? If a friend ordered it, would you try it? And if you had already been eating the fungus, but didn’t know what it was, would you continue to eat it?
I choose to continue, because it was downright delicious!……..mmmmmm……Edible Tree Fungus……….mmmmmmmmmm
May 8th, 2006 at 8:14 pm
haha….oh wow….you are going to be so disappointed when you get back to the states and such a small menu…
May 8th, 2006 at 9:21 pm
definitely!!!
May 9th, 2006 at 1:20 am
Right well it has been a while, so i can only apologise for not being in contact but my hotmail account seems really fucked up and i can’t get in or even use MSN. Of course i knew i could use this site to contact you and luckily i remembered Sadie’s address. However i can’t exactly remember Susanna’s (shyatt@hotmail.com i think) so could you do me a favour and let me know what it is? Thanks and i’ll reply to the e-mail with more detail, maybe after the trip to SF which starts next Tues (can’t wait).
May 9th, 2006 at 7:18 am
Rachel…….hahahha…..u can’t even begin to understand
Elijah…..sweet
Gino…..have fun w/ Sadie
May 9th, 2006 at 2:11 pm
Have you had bird’s nest soup? Do you know what it is made of. Bird saliva can’t b e any worse than tree fungus. You could live 3 lifetimes and never rfepeat a Chinese dish. Wonderfully iunventive and delicious cuisine. Continue to enjoy your gastronomical repasts.
May 9th, 2006 at 2:54 pm
Jerome…..have not had that…..but I probably wouldn’t know if I had. Sounds interesting though
May 9th, 2006 at 6:57 pm
Yes I would eat it. Intrigued with your description…..and discussion.
There is a fungus among us. love T
May 9th, 2006 at 8:38 pm
Terry……yes…..the fungus is among us!!!!
May 11th, 2006 at 4:40 pm
AJ- we used to go for Chinese food in Chicago’s Chinatown to Lee’s Canton Cafe. We were frequently the only caucasians in the place, and I remember eating snails there. They had some pretty weird things to eat. But mushrooms? I like mushrooms!
May 11th, 2006 at 7:38 pm
Glen…..snails….mmmm…did they have any fungus?
May 12th, 2006 at 6:30 pm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood_ear
May 13th, 2006 at 1:20 am
Bernard…..can’t get to that site…..hehehe
May 13th, 2006 at 5:01 am
I love me a wood ear!! That stuff rocks–especially with eggs. Yum. I knew it was a tree fungus already because my sister is a traditional chinese medicine doctor and she uses it. it’s supposed to be good for acne, as is those clear/white blobs of dried fungus that you see everywhere in the market. It is actually an algae that grows underwater. Ying Er it’s called.
May 13th, 2006 at 6:01 am
Anne…..wow….you are filled with all sorts of interesting facts. Thanks for the comment
May 27th, 2006 at 1:20 pm
Andrew: This is my first time emailing you. We’ve met on 17th Street a few times. Your dad gave me your blog site and I really enjoy reading it. Ran with your dad and grandfather this morning. Re tree fungi. Hahahaha. I will pick some for you from the Brentwood Country Club and prepare it for you when you return. It’s pretty common. I’m taking a photography course at University of Hunan in October. Using your stuff as my color guide. Good job. //don (Mountain Goat)
May 27th, 2006 at 4:10 pm
Don…….welcome…..glad you are enjoying my site. A photography class in China….that should be a blast. What are you shooting with?