What Is Black Termite Mushroom? Its Surprising Benefits and Value

With its naturally sweet, delicate flavour, black termite mushroom is a delicious edible mushroom packed with nutrients. It helps prevent and treat illness, is good for the blood, heart and blood pressure, and is ideal for weight-loss diets.

Nature offers many edible and nutritious mushrooms, and black termite mushroom is one of the most prized.

This is a mushroom almost everyone loves because it tastes so good – only slightly behind wild termite mushrooms, and otherwise the tastiest of all the common edible mushrooms.

Wild termite mushrooms still can't be cultivated, but black termite mushrooms have been farmed since around 2010. If you'd like to try them, you can easily find them almost anywhere and enjoy their wonderful natural flavour.

About black termite mushroom

• English name: Black Termitomyces Heim
• Scientific name: Xerula radicata
• Other names: rooting shank, deep-root mushroom, long-root mushroom
• Family: Physalacriaceae
• Kingdom: Fungi
• Types: white termite mushroom and black termite mushroom

Black termite mushroom also originally grew in the wild. Fortunately, in 2010 a Chinese researcher successfully brought it into agricultural cultivation and registered it under the nameBlack Termitomyces Heim.

Wild termite mushrooms, on the other hand, only grow under the right conditions, such as the rainy season, high humidity and places with plenty of termite mounds. They are found mainly in the provinces of the Mekong Delta, such as Ben Tre, and are known today aswhite termite mushrooms.

Today, most black termite mushrooms are farmed like other common edible mushrooms, which is wonderful news. Locally they're also called deep-root or long-root mushrooms, because their roots are quite long and reach deep into the soil.

Their hallmark is a light, delicate sweetness and a slightly crisp, chewy bite much like lean chicken. Naturally, they're delicious – just as sweet and tasty as wild termite mushrooms – so you can cook countless wonderful dishes with them.

How to identify black termite mushroom

Key features of black termite mushroom

Here's how to recognise black termite mushrooms:

• When mature, the mushroom stands about 10-15cm tall.
• The stem is white with a greyish-black tinge, an irregular cylinder 0.5-1.5cm in radius and sometimes over 2cm at its largest.
• The cap is dark brown, fairly small and shaped like a folded umbrella, with a radius of 3-5 cm and up to 10-15cm at its largest.
• The roots are quite long and reach deep into the soil or growing substrate.
• The flesh inside is white and pleasantly sweet – tastier than common edible mushrooms, though probably just a little behind wild white termite mushrooms.
• They grow singly; even when they appear in clusters, each has its own stem. They prefer temperatures of 24-32°C.
• Although they share a name, these two mushrooms differ in both appearance and flavour, so don't mix them up when you buy them to cook!

Nutritional content of black termite mushroom

Black and white termite mushrooms have very similar compositions, with little difference between them. Both contain plenty of nutrients, including high levels of vitamins and minerals.

The minerals such as calcium and iron, the protein and other nutrients in this mushroom are very good for people who are ill, and help healthy people protect their bodies and prevent disease, with many benefits for the stomach and spleen.

On top of that, this mushroom is very high in phosphorus, which is very beneficial for the sick and the elderly. Its most abundant vitamins are the B vitamins (B1, B2, B3 and so on), which are excellent for the blood.

Eating black termite mushrooms regularly also gives you plenty of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds, supporting a healthy immune system and fighting ageing.

Health benefits of black termite mushroom

Like many other edible mushrooms, this one is full of nutrients that are good for your health. Eating black termite mushrooms a few times a week, alongside vegetables and fruit, will strengthen your immune system and help prevent many illnesses.

Black termite mushroom and cancer prevention

Thanks to two special compounds,Beta-Glucan (β-Glucan) andlinoleic acid, black termite mushroom is one of the foods that can support the body's defences against cancer, especially breast cancer in women and prostate cancer in men.

Statistics from research results have shown several effects that help curb increases inoestrogen in the body, helping post-menopausal women reduce their risk of breast cancer.

Linoleic acid is said to be an important key compound that helps suppress the harmful effects of oestrogen in women. Not only that, it also helps regulate the menstrual cycle and keeps skin healthy, firm, glowing and smooth.

For men with prostate cancer, beta-glucan can be a lifesaver, as it helps slow and stop the growth of cancer cells.

In particular, together with the oudenone found in black termite mushroom, it helps inhibit cancer cells and malignant tumours and makes cancer treatment more effective.

Black termite mushroom and diabetes

Diabetes is quite common in Vietnam. It mainly stems from disorders in the metabolism of fats (cholesterol), protein and carbohydrates, caused by a pancreatic hormone that is weak or not produced in sufficient amounts.

Black termite mushroom contains natural enzymes that help with this by breaking down the sugars and starches in food, helping patients improve and lower their blood sugar levels.

What's more, this mushroom is rich in fibre, protein and essential minerals, making it very beneficial for people with diabetes. In fact, mushrooms in general contain more fibre than many vegetables and seeds, so eating more mushrooms and less meat can help you recover faster.

Black termite mushroom for a healthy heart

The wonderful health benefits of black termite mushroom

Likewise, if the body works steadily and the heart pumps blood throughout the body, there's nothing to worry about, though there are still a few issues worth keeping in mind.

According to research reports on heart patients, up to 90% of people with cardiovascular disease have it mainly because of cholesterol building up on their artery walls, which leads to symptoms such as:

• Atherosclerosis
• Sharp chest pains
• Higher risk of sudden death or stroke

Thanks to its high protein and fibre content, eating black termite mushrooms regularly helps burn off (reduce) cholesterol in the blood vessels, effectively helping the body prevent heart disease.

Black termite mushroom against anaemia and iron deficiency

Anaemia is quite common, especially among women, and left untreated it can cause many health problems. Like straw mushrooms, black termite mushroom is a good source of iron (Fe), second only to wood ear mushrooms.

Many women dread or simply hate taking iron tablets, so why not eat mushrooms instead? They're much easier and tastier. The iron in mushrooms is easily absorbed by the body, naturally and effectively improving anaemia.

Black termite mushroom against stress, headaches and fatigue

Edible mushrooms in general, and black termite mushroom in particular, contain lots of B vitamins that are great for the blood. With a good blood supply circulating evenly throughout the body and to the brain, they help ease headaches, fatigue and stress.

These symptoms usually happen when the brain doesn't get enough blood; once it does, they settle down on their own. A well-supplied brain also helps boost the functioning of the nervous system.

Black termite mushroom for good digestion

This mushroom also greatly supports the digestive system and helps treat conditions related to the duodenum, indigestion, loss of appetite, and stomach and duodenal ulcers.

Black termite mushroom for weight loss and staying in shape

Mushrooms are low in calories, so no matter how many you eat they won't affect your weight, making them perfect for anyone dieting to lose weight. A great tip is simply to replace meat with mushrooms and fresh vegetables.

If you keep eating high-fibre, low-calorie dishes like these at regular mealtimes, you'll soon have the waistline you want without starving yourself. And since mushrooms contain so many essential nutrients, you won't need to worry about missing out on nutrition!

Black termite mushroom for detoxing and better liver function

Because black termite mushroom is rich in essential nutrients, it's very good for the liver, for example:

• Increasingglycogen in the liver
• Lowering liver enzymes.

Not only that, this mushroom also helps reduce the harm caused by carbon tetrachloride, prednisone and thioacetamide, substances that are bad for the liver.

How to cook black termite mushroom

Black termite mushroom can be made into many delicious dishes, every bit as good as its big brother, the wild white termite mushroom. For example:

Black termite mushroom can be made into many delicious dishes

• Mushrooms baked in foil
• Banh xeo (Vietnamese crispy pancakes)
• Stir-fried noodles with mushrooms
• Mushroom rice porridge
• Meat porridge (chicken or duck) or spring onion porridge, topped with stir-fried mushrooms for a wonderfully fragrant, sweet flavour – spring onion porridge with mushrooms is very restorative for anyone who is unwell.
• Mushroom hotpot
• Braised mushrooms, plain or in coconut milk.
• Mushrooms stir-fried with garlic or spices
• … and countless other dishes.

The mushroom's flavour and sweetness are quite distinctive. Combined with other dishes, it not only keeps its own character but also adds a natural sweetness, and every bite has a satisfyingly chewy crunch and a delicate sweetness.

How best to store black termite mushroom

To keep black termite mushrooms in the best condition, store them inthe fridge, ideally at 3-5°C; that way you cankeep them for 8 to 10 days.

They taste best within the first 5 days after picking, so don't leave them in the fridge too long or they'll lose flavour and sweetness and near their use-by date. Mushrooms are a clean foodwith no preservatives, so their natural shelf life is short.

Is black termite mushroom easy to grow?

Some say it's hard, others say it's easy, but really whether growing mushrooms is easy or hard depends on what you know – your knowledge, skills and experience. The quality of the harvest depends on the spawn, the growing substrate and proper care.

Like many other mushrooms, black termite mushroom is neither easy nor hard to grow. Growing a small amount at home is quite easy. Farming larger quantities is much more work, as you need to manage disease risks by isolating the substrate bags, water just enough, and keep the temperature and humidity right…

To grow mushrooms you need to understand them like a child – each has its own temperament and preferences, and you have to understand them to do well. For example, the growing area must be free of draughts and direct sunlight, with fresh air and natural light, a temperature of only 25 – 33°C and humidity of around 80-90%.

Making a good block of substrate takes many stages: preparing the materials, bagging, steaming to sterilise, inoculating with spawn, then incubating for over 2 months until the mycelium covers the whole block in white. Incubation is when the mycelium grows and spreads through the block to take up nutrients, just as a tree must develop its roots before it can grow tall.

Unlike growing oyster mushrooms, once the mycelium has fully colonised this substrate you need to open the bag, gently score the mycelium and cover it with a layer of yellow sand about 2.5-3cm thick so fruiting bodies can form. Then mist around the growing area about twice a day to lower the temperature and raise the humidity for the mushrooms.

Adjust how often you water depending on the temperature, and don't overwater or the mushrooms will rot. Always water just enough to keep the humidity (80-90%) and temperature (about 25-33°C) right. If you keep this up consistently, the best fruiting bodies will form in a little over 20 days.

In the final days before the fruiting bodies are ready, you can reduce the watering but keep the humidity even, just not too damp, so they can keep developing. Once the mushrooms are mature they can be harvested; picking them while still young gives the sweetest, tastiest results.

The first flush takes a little over 3 months from incubation, but less than 30 days from spreading the sand. Later flushes take under 20 days each. One block can produce about 3-5 flushes, each yielding 100-300 grams.

Is eating black termite mushroom dangerous?

Common edible mushrooms are harmless, contain no toxins and are very good for you, but used the wrong way they're not so good. Here, though, Nam Khoe is talking about the danger of buying poor-quality produce.

Although mushrooms love clean conditions and cannot survive, live or grow with chemicals such as growth stimulants, growth inhibitors (to hold them at a stage) or preservatives, some places may still use chemicals during cultivation or after harvest.

There are also some chemicals that are colourless, odourless and tasteless… used to protect against insects that damage the mushrooms; Nam Xanh isn't sure whether they're harmful.

Nam Khoe heard about these things from people in the trade and hasn't verified them first-hand, so be careful and check the mushrooms' appearance and smell (a pungent smell usually means chemicals have been used).

Keep in mind that mushrooms are "cooling" in nature, so you need to cook them properly to avoid food poisoning and eat them the right way to get the most nutritional value.

Please note: Don't eat mushrooms with cold drinks such as chilled shakes, iced water or cooling drinks, unless you want an urgent dash to the bathroom with a stomach ache.

Source: https://namxanh.vn/nam-moi-den/

You can buy ready-made canned black termite mushrooms braised with pepper at: https://gofoshop.com/nam-moi-den-kho-tieu-mino-38