Velvet Pioppino

Summary

The Velvet Pioppini Mushroom is a mushroom beloved by chefs all around the world. Botanically classified as Agrocybe aegerita the Velvet Pioppini Mushroom is also known as the Black Poplar mushroom, Poplar mushroom, or Tea Tree mushroom.

Easy to grow, the Velvet Pioppini Mushroom is one of the tastiest mushrooms on God’s Green Earth, with a rich, unique flavour that perfectly complements any pasta or red meat dish. 

The Velvet Pioppini Mushroom Description and Taste.

The Velvet Pioppini is a small to medium-sized mushroom which has a dark brown cap that grows to around 3-10 cm in diameter. Under the cap, there are small, grey-brown gills containing dark spores.  It has a thin, elongated creamy white stem with a texture not unlike asparagus. 

When it comes to taste, the Velvet Pioppini is up there with the very best. In Europe and Asia, these have been used for centuries in all sorts of meals like soups, stews and pasta and as a tasty standalone too. In Italy, the massively popular pasta con funghi dish commonly uses Velvet Pioppini, especially with a nice red wine!

Now becoming popular in the US, the Velvet Pioppini has a unique nutty, meaty, earthy, and even slightly peppery taste with a sweet floral aroma and a satisfying crunch when bitten into.

What are the uses of the Velvet Pioppini mushroom?

The Velvet Pioppini mushroom is versatile, hardy, medicinal, and nutritious. In China, Japan, and much of Asia, they have been used for over 1000 years in traditional medicines to help reduce symptoms of nausea, fight fevers, and get rid of headaches.

The Velvet Pioppini mushrooms are also used for their anti-inflammatory and anti-fungal properties, helping protect the kidneys and digestive systems.

When it comes to its uses in the kitchen, the Velvet Pioppini mushroom is an absolute star. Although they are perfectly fine eaten raw, the Velvet Pioppini mushroom is, without doubt, best cooked. Great roasted, pan-fried, braised, stewed, or sautéd, it is highly recommended that you do not wash the mushrooms in water before cooking as this will change the texture negatively. Instead, wipe the mushrooms with a damp cloth.

The Velvet Pioppini stems are edible but a little tough and may need boiling to soften the texture before stir-frying or sautéing. As they’re more fibrous than the caps, they keep their satisfying crunchy texture long after cooking.

Nutritional Value

Velvet Pioppini mushrooms are as nutritious as they are tasty. Jam-packed full of copper, fiber, and vitamin B5, as well as containing potassium, folate, iron, biotin, selenium, and vitamins B2 and B3. Also, the Velvet Pioppini mushrooms are well known for their anti-fungal and antibiotic properties.

How to Store Velvet Pioppini Mushrooms?

The Velvet Pioppini is one of the easier mushrooms to store. Generally, the Velvet Pioppini, when cultivated, will keep for up to around six days in a paper bag or wrapped in paper towels at the back of your refrigerator. 

You can also dry Velvet Pioppini mushrooms and store them in a sealed container for an easy six months.

Out in the Wild

Although originally native to Asia, You can find the Velvet Pioppini mushroom in forests all around the world. Growing mainly on tree stumps and fallen branches, they can sometimes look as though they are growing out of the ground, when in fact, they are growing out of tree roots of mulched leaves. 

Normally harvested around the end of summer, depending on the local weather conditions, the Velvet Pioppini mushroom may produce flushes at various times of the year.