Enoki mushroom.

Enoki grows as a tight bunch of long, thin white stems, each topped with a cap no bigger than a pea. In Thailand it goes by the name hed khem thong, the golden needle mushroom. The taste is mild and faintly sweet. What people like most is the texture: the stems stay crisp and a little springy even after cooking.

It's the mushroom almost everyone adds to suki and shabu, and it turns up wrapped and grilled at night markets too. Look for stems that are white and dry, with no slimy patches or brown ends at the tips.

Ways to use it

• Cut off the spongy base, pull the stems into small bundles and drop them into hot pot or suki for the last minute or two.
• Stir fry with garlic, oyster sauce and a few spring onions until just soft.
• Add to clear soup or tom yum near the end, so the stems keep their bite.
• Wrap small bundles in thin slices of pork, grill or pan fry, and brush with a little sauce.
• Fry in a light batter until crisp.

Enoki is meant to be eaten cooked, so heat it right through, even in a quick soup.

Storing it

Keep it in the fridge, in its own pack or in a box lined with paper so it doesn't sit in moisture. Leave the base on until you cook. Then cut it off, rinse the stems quickly and shake them dry. Use within a few days, since the stems soften and darken as they age.

Where it comes from

Grown to certified organic standards. The certificate for each lot is shown when you trace your pack.

Every pack will carry a lot code. Enter it on the Trace your pack page and you will see the farms in that lot, the harvest date and the certificate.