Basic introduction of Hericium erinaceus
Hericium erinaceus is a fungus of the family Dentalaceae and the genus Hericium erinaceus. The fruiting body is medium, large or large, 3.5-10 (30) cm in diameter, fleshy, capitular or obovate in shape, resembling a monkey's head, hence the name "monkey head". The place where the base grows is narrow, and the base of the artificially cultivated Hericium erinaceus is often in the shape of a handle because it is longer than the mouth of the bottle or the mouth of the plastic bag. Except for the base, the surrounding body is covered with thorns. The thorns are 1-5 cm long, needle-shaped, and 1-2 mm thick. The spores are born on the surface of the thorns, spherical, (5.5-7.5) micron × (5-6) micron in diameter, containing oil droplets, and the spore pile is white.
Hericium erinaceus is widely distributed in nature, mainly in broad-leaved forests or coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forests in the northern temperate zone, such as Western Europe, North America, Japan, Russia and other places. In China, it is mainly distributed in the forest areas of the Greater and Lesser Khingan Mountains in the northeast, the Tianshan Mountains and Altai Mountains in the northwest, the Himalayas in the west and the Hengduan Mountains in the southwest, including Heilongjiang, Jilin, Inner Mongolia, Hebei, Henan, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Gansu, Sichuan, Hubei, Hunan, Guangxi, Yunnan, Tibet, Zhejiang, Fujian and other provincial-level autonomous regions.
Hericium erinaceus is not only an edible treasure in China, but also an important medicinal fungus. Hericium erinaceus is one of the eight "mountain delicacies" in China. Since ancient times, it has been said that "hericium erinaceus, seafood bird's nest" is listed as four famous dishes together with bear's paw, sea cucumber and shark's fin. The meat is tender, fragrant, delicious, Rich in nutrition, excellent in color, aroma and taste. In addition, Hericium erinaceus is also a precious traditional Chinese medicinal material, which has the functions of nourishing and fitness, helping digestion, and benefiting the five internal organs. Modern research shows that it contains active ingredients such as polypeptides, polysaccharides, fats and proteins, and has certain curative effects on digestive tract tumors, gastric and duodenal ulcers, gastritis, and abdominal distension.
