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Beech mushrooms have a delicious savory, nutty flavor and crunchy texture! Here’s more about this variety and a recipe for how to cook them.

Beech mushrooms

Here’s a unique variety of mushrooms you should grab if you ever see them at the grocery or market: beech mushrooms! The small clusters of fungi look right out of a fairy tale. Turns out, they’re also some of the tastiest around! Sauté them up and the flavor is earthy and savory, with a crunchy pop in each bite. Here at A Couple Cooks, we’ve made it our goal to try all the types of mushrooms we can find at our local grocery. After over 10 different varieties, beech mushrooms have solidified their place at the top. Here’s more about them!

What are beech mushrooms?

Beech mushrooms are worth grabbing if you see them: this variety is one of the tastiest around. Here’s what you need to know this unique type of mushroom:

  • Beech mushrooms (Hypsizygus tessellatus) are a type of edible mushroom that grows on beech trees, hence the name. They’re also known as Buna shimeji or clamshell mushrooms, and native to East Asia (they’re also cultivated in the US, Australia and Europe). They grow in clusters and are small and thin, with round tops. There are two types: the brown beech mushroom and the white beech mushroom.
  • Where to find it? You can find this type of mushroom at some grocery stores or health food stores, farmer’s markets.
  • What do beech mushrooms taste like? They have a lightly sweet, savory and nutty flavor, with a subtly crunchy texture. They should always be served cooked, since the flavor is slightly bitter when raw.
Brown beech mushroom
The brown beech mushroom (Buna shimeji), or clamshell mushroom

How to store and clean them

Grabbed a bunch of beech mushrooms? Great! Here’s how to store them once you bring them home, and clean them before cooking:

  • Store the mushrooms in a paper bag in the refrigerator (not produce drawer). You can leave them in the package they come in. But the best way to store mushrooms is in a paper bag, which allows them to breathe. Leave them in the main part of the refrigerator to get good airflow, not the produce drawer.
  • Clean them with a quick rinse. Slice off the base of the mushroom clump, then give the mushrooms a quick rinse. Just don’t soak them or they can become soggy. Here’s How to Clean Mushrooms…the Right Way.
Beech mushrooms

How to cook beech mushrooms

Beech mushrooms should always be served cooked, since their flavor can be slightly bitter raw. A quick toss in a pan with soy sauce and lime, and you won’t believe the flavor! Here are the basic steps (or jump to the recipe):

  • Slice off the base of the mushrooms and rinse them. Slicing off the base of the cluster separates them into individual stems. Give them a brief rinse to remove any dirt.
  • Cook on medium heat for 3 minutes. We like using sesame oil (standard, not toasted).
  • Reduce to medium heat, add seasonings and cook 1 to 2 minutes. Add soy sauce, lime juice and a hint of Sriracha. It brings out a punch of savory, nuanced flavor! Take one bite and you’ll keep coming back for more.

Ways to serve beech mushrooms

Once you’ve cooked these beech mushrooms, you can add them to other dishes, or use them in place of other varieties in a stir fry, risotto, or pizza. Here are some more ideas:

Beech mushroom recipe

This beech mushroom recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.

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Beech mushrooms

Beech Mushrooms (Info & Recipe!)


  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 2 minutes
  • Cook Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 7 minutes
  • Yield: 2 to 3 servings 1x

Description

Beech mushrooms have a delicious savory, nutty flavor and crunchy texture! Here’s more about this variety and a recipe for how to cook them.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 8 ounces beech mushrooms
  • 1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
  • ½ tablespoon lime juice
  • ½ teaspoon Sriracha hot sauce (or other hot sauce)
  • 1 ½ tablespoons sesame oil (standard, not toasted)
  • Kosher salt

Instructions

  1. Slice off the bottom tough part of the mushroom stems. In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, lime juice and Sriracha. 
  2. Heat the sesame oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the beech mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add a few pinches of kosher salt while cooking.
  3. Reduce the heat to medium and carefully pour in the bowl of sauce. Continue cooking 1 to 2 minutes until browned and glossy.
  • Category: Side dish
  • Method: Sauteed
  • Cuisine: Mushrooms
  • Diet: Vegan

Keywords: Beech mushrooms, White beech mushroom, Beech mushroom recipe, Brown beech mushroom

More types of mushrooms

There are so many types of fungi to try! We’ve found all of these mushroom varieties at our local grocery store. Sample them all:

About the authors

Sonja & Alex

Meet Sonja and Alex Overhiser: Husband and wife. Expert home cooks. Authors of recipes you’ll want to make again and again.

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9 Comments

  1. Great info and pictures on different types of mushrooms. I love all kinds of mushrooms and now I’m excited to try sauteed Beech shrooms! Love your website!

  2. I followed the recipe except omitted the kosher salt & adjusting for having 3.5 oz of mushrooms.
    Added to Mapo Tofu—Delicious!
    The soy sauce provides enough salt.

  3. I found some of these at the store yesterday and was curious about them. Turned out I also had some soba noodles, too, so I tried this and it was fantastic!

  4. You can also find these mushrooms in Asian markets, and they tend to be quite inexpensive. So that’s another place to hunt them down.

    I like to stir fry mine with some butter and garlic and use them as a steak topping. They pack more flavour than the standard criminis and complement beef very well. They’re also good when tossed in egg drop soup or hot and sour soup, too.

  5. I buy beech mushrooms at Trader Joe’s. I cut some of the bottom off but leave in tact, slice in Half and pour buttermilk over them and then coat with chicken breader (House of Autry brand) and fry them. They are like eating fried chicken. The texture is so close and delicious and filling!