Morel mushrooms are a delicacy in Western cooking, but did you know they are regarded as a tonic in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)?
In TCM, the fungi are believed to help reduce phlegm and boost one's immunity by regulating the body's qi (vital energy). They are usually cooked in soups.
In Mandarin, morels are called yang du jun (lamb's stomach mushroom) as their outer appearance resembles lamb stomach.
There are several grades of morels from China - wild-grown and cultivated - available here.
At Queen Street Trading, which sells dried seafood and Chinese herbs, manager Walter Chua, 49, has noticed greater customer interest in morels since last year.
At his shop, cultivated morels are priced at $23 a tael (37.5g), compared with $45 for the wild variety because of limited supply.
Mr Chua says: "Cultivated morels are more affordably priced compared with those of the wild variety, so more customers are willing to try the cultivated ones."
Wild morels have a strong aroma similar to the more expensive cordyceps and are often used as a substitute for them in tonic soups, adds Mr Chua.
Cultivated morels can be similarly used to impart a woody savoury aroma to soups at a more economical price.
When cooking tonic soups, he recommends portioning two morels per person.
Other Chinese herbs to add include dried Mandarin orange peel, which is also believed to help reduce phlegm and aid digestion.
Instead of the standard grade of yuzhu (Solomon's seal), you can try adding in a premium grade called hai yuzhu, which is sweeter in flavour.
Morels chicken soup
Ingredients
250ml hot water
8 pieces of morel (16g)
1.8 litres water (for blanching)
4 whole chicken leg quarters (900g), skin removed
3.8 litres water
31g hai yuzhu (Solomon's seal)
35g huai shan (Chinese wild yam)
4 black dates (37g), halved
6 red dates (25g)
3g dried Mandarin orange peel
11g wolfberries
1 tsp salt
Method
1. Soak the morels in 250ml of hot water for 20 minutes. Squeeze and rinse.
2. Use a pair of scissors to remove the stems. Set aside.
3. Bring 1.8 litres of water to a boil. Blanch the chicken until there is no more blood. Remove the chicken and rinse.
4. In a clean and sturdy pot, bring 3.8 litres of water to a boil.
5. Place the blanched chicken and morels into the pot.
6. Add the hai yuzhu, huai shan, black dates, red dates and dried Mandarin orange peel.
7. Cover and bring to a boil.
8. Once the soup reaches a boil, turn the heat to low and simmer covered for 1 hour and 50 minutes.
9. Add in the wolfberries and season with salt. Simmer for another 10 minutes.
10. Serve hot.
Makes four servings
- Follow Hedy Khoo on Instagram
- Follow Straits Times Food on Instagram and Facebook