Straw mushrooms (Volvariella volvacea) common in Chinese markets. This dense ball adds texture and taste to soups, stews, and stir-fries.

Straw mushrooms are so named because they're grown on rice straw that's been used in a paddy and have been used for food in China for two thousand years. The straw mushroom, also called "paddy straw mushroom," is cultivated in the hot, steamy climate of Southeast Asia. Attempts to grow them in the southern United States so far have been unsuccessful.

This musty, earthy growing medium contributes its distinct nuances to this mushroom's flavor. Baskets of fresh straw mushrooms can be found in the exotic marketplaces of southern China and Asia. They look like tan quail eggs. They are harvested in the "egg stage" before the caps have erupted from their confining universal veils. When sold in this condition they are called "unpeeled."  Imported fresh straw mushrooms are sometimes available, but the dried are usually found in Chinese markets. They will sometimes have a pronounced unusual flavor that is not completely acceptable to the Western palate.