Enoki – (Flammulina velutipes)

We offer fresh-made Agar plates, Slants, Liquid Cultures, and Spore Syringes, all prepared to order in a sterile environment. Please allow 3–5 business days for processing before shipment.

Enoki Mushroom: The Winter Delicacy

Enoki (Flammulina velutipes), also known as the Winter Mushroom or Golden Needle Mushroom, is one of the most recognizable cultivated fungi worldwide. In controlled conditions it produces the iconic long, slender, white stems with tiny button caps sold in grocery bundles. In the wild, it looks very different—orange-brown clustered caps with velvety stems growing on cold-weather hardwoods.

In the kitchen, Enoki offers a delicate, crunchy texture and mild flavor, often used in soups, stir-fries, hot pots, and noodle dishes. It pairs exceptionally well with broths and sauces, absorbing flavors while maintaining its unique “needle” crunch.

Cultivators love Enoki for its cool-weather fruiting and high market demand, though it requires more specialized conditions (low light, high CO₂, narrow fruiting containers) to achieve the long commercial form.

As always, produced with love and a touch of southern hospitality. 😉
Our spawn starts with organically grown milo grain, expanded into hardwood sawdust with bran supplementation, producing consistent yields of this winter favorite.

🍄 Enoki: Comprehensive Profile

Overview

• Common Names: Enoki, Winter Mushroom, Golden Needle Mushroom

• Scientific Name: Flammulina velutipes

• Family: Physalacriaceae

• Ecological Role: Saprotroph (wood decomposer)

• Habitat: Decaying hardwoods, often at tree bases in cold weather

• Distribution: Native to East Asia and Europe; cultivated worldwide

🔬 Taxonomy

RankClassificationDomainEukaryotaKingdomFungiPhylumBasidiomycotaClassAgaricomycetesOrderAgaricalesFamilyPhysalacriaceaeGenusFlammulinaSpeciesF. velutipes

🧬 Morphological Characteristics

Cultivated Form (high CO₂, low light):

• Cap: Tiny, convex, pale white/yellow

• Stem: Long, thin, white, up to 10–15 cm, grown in tight bundles

• Gills: White, closely spaced

• Spore Print: White

Wild Form (natural environment):

• Cap: Orange to reddish-brown, 2–5 cm across

• Stem: Shorter, with dark velvety base

• Grows in clusters at base of hardwoods in winter

Flavor/Texture:

• Mild, slightly fruity flavor

• Crunchy, needle-like stems

🌍 Ecology & Distribution

• Common in temperate regions worldwide

• Fruits in late fall to early spring, even under snow

• Cultivated indoors under cold, dim, CO₂-rich conditions to produce the commercial long-stemmed form

🌿 Distinguishing Features

• vs Pioppino (Agrocybe aegerita): Pioppino has dark caps and nutty flavor; Enoki is pale, mild, and crunchy

• vs Velvet Shank (Flammulina velutipes, wild form): Cultivated Enoki is long and white; wild Velvet Shank is orange-brown with velvety stem

• vs Oysters: Enoki has needle-like stems and tiny caps, very different morphology

⚕️ Culinary & Nutritional Potential

Culinary:

• Adds crunch to soups, hot pots, ramen, and stir-fries

• Excellent in broths and marinades (absorbs flavor well)

• Often eaten raw in salads (but more digestible when lightly cooked)

Nutritional/Medicinal:

• Low calorie, high fiber

• Contains antioxidants, polysaccharides, and compounds studied for immune modulation

• Rich in B vitamins, potassium, and amino acids

• Extracts studied for potential anti-tumor and cholesterol-lowering effects

⚠️ Toxicity / Edibility

• Edible and widely cultivated

• Wild collection should be done carefully (can be confused with toxic Galerina species)

• Cultivated Enoki is safe and highly regarded

📸 Cultivation Notes

• Substrate: Hardwood sawdust with bran supplementation

• Spawn Run: 2–3 weeks on grain; 3–6 weeks on sawdust block

• Fruiting Conditions:

  • Temp: 45–60°F (7–15°C) optimal

  • Humidity: 85–95%

  • Fresh Air: Restricted (high CO₂) for long stems; more FAE produces wild-like caps

  • Light: Low light for commercial form

• Yield: High; flushes can be harvested as bundled clusters

• Shelf Life: 5–7 days refrigerated, slightly longer if kept sealed

📚 Historical & Cultural Notes

• Cultivated in Japan and China for centuries; one of the oldest commercial mushrooms in Asia

• Still among the top 5 most cultivated mushrooms worldwide

• In Japan, called “enokitake”, meaning “snow stem mushroom”

✅ Summary: Key Points on Enoki

• Iconic “needle mushroom” with long white stems and tiny caps

• Fruits best in cool, CO₂-rich, low-light conditions

• High yields, excellent for commercial production

• Crunchy texture and mild flavor — perfect for soups and stir-fries

• One of the world’s oldest and most popular cultivated mushrooms