Enoki mushrooms are edible mushrooms which are very popular in Asian cuisine, especially in Japan. The delicately flavored, interesting looking mushrooms are also cultivated and sold in other parts of the world, although they are most widely used in Asian and fusion foods. Asian grocers and specialty stores often sell enoki mushrooms, and they are sometimes also available in regular markets, depending on the region of the world that one is in.

There are actually two different kinds of enoki mushrooms, although both are botanically classified as Flammulina velutipes. One is a wild type, which looks and tastes radically different from the cultivated mushroom, which has been raised under specific conditions to modify the look and flavor of the mushrooms. While both versions are perfectly palatable, many consumers prefer the cultivated mushrooms, since they have a more intense flavor.

The wild mushrooms are found naturally growing on the stumps of the enoki tree. They are also known as enokitake or enokitaki. The mushrooms are golden to dark brown in color, with a dense velvety growth on the lower part of their stems which leads some people to call them Velvet Foot mushrooms. After wild collection, the mushrooms can be eaten raw or lightly cooked, and they generally last only a few days in a paper bag under refrigeration, so they should be used quickly after harvesting.

When enoki mushrooms are cultivated, they are grown in dark conditions so that they are bone to cream white. The mushrooms are grown in special jars which encourage them to develop long stems as they reach for an overhead light source. As a result, cultivated enoki mushrooms have long, trailing stems which are typically used along with the caps of the mushrooms. Cultivated enoki mushrooms are also called Snow Puffs or Golden Needles, in a reference to their color and shape.

To use the mild, slightly fruity flavor of enoki mushrooms in cooking, start by gently rinsing the mushrooms to remove surface dirt. Next, trim the bottom of the mushrooms off, as the mushrooms come in thick clumps. Most cooks trim right where the mushrooms begin to branch off, so that each mushroom is separated from the base. The mushrooms can be tossed into foods raw for extra crunch and flavor, or lightly cooked.

In addition to being available fresh at the market, enoki mushrooms can also be found canned in some regions. If canned, the mushrooms can be shelf stable for several months. Fresh enoki mushrooms, on the other hand, should be carefully inspected for slime and mold before purchase, and used quickly.