They can weigh up to 800 grams. They look for all the world like snowy white cauliflowers. And they are enjoying a big blast of popularity at the moment.
They are Lion’s Mane mushrooms, one of the various exotic fungi grown by the Stokers Siding-based Shroom Brothers. I’m at the stall chatting to Julia, who’s manning it, who tells me how they are the most popular mushroom at the moment, a fact confirmed by the majority of the customers.
The first thing I want to know is what to do with them. A beautiful girl with a nose-ring tells me she slices them, then pan-fries them with butter and herbs. ‘They’re really satisfying’, she says. ‘They’re meaty, like a steak.’ Julia chips in to say that she herself cooks them as schnitzels, tossing them in egg and breadcrumbs then frying them. Another purchaser is buying some for her friend, who has cancer. She tells me that Lion’s Mane is very good for the brain and for memory. Then there’s the customer who has heard you can dry the mushroom out, turn it into a powder and drink it – and while it’s not available at the stall yet, it’s only a matter of time.
Andrew Mohanu, co-owner of Shroom, tells me that in response to lots of requests from customers for this medicinal powder, they have created Mala Wellness, a company committed to selling Australian-grown and certified organic mushroom powder. He says that Lion’s Mane has two compounds unique to it. ‘It’s shown to improve memory’, he says, ‘and it reduces the chances of Alzheimer’s, dementia, depression and anxiety.’
It’s the funniest mushroom I’ve ever seen but if it has all those virtues – as well as being a meat substitute and, like tofu, a wonderful absorber of flavourings – I can quite understand that it’s a big seller. As I’m sure the Mala Wellness powder will be too.
Shroom Brothers are at Mullumbimby Farmers Market every Friday from 7am to 11am and New Brighton Farmers Market every Tuesday from 8am to 11am.
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