In contrast to the common white mushroom, the consumption of exotic mushrooms from Asia is on the rise.
“Consumers are learning to appreciate mushrooms like the Enoki, Shii-take, the Shimeji and the Eryngii, because these can increasingly be found on the shelves of supermarkets,” says Harold Schuurmans of Westland Mushrooms from De Lier, Holland. He himself is wild about the exotic varieties and travels to China regularly to visit suppliers and check on product safety. Good suppliers are the key to success, he says. “There is an increasing number of other retailers, but they don’t have our experience. It took us years to build up a network of trusted Asian suppliers, but it paid off. We can now guarantee quality.”
Mushroom producer Paul Verhoeckx confirms the rise of speciality items. “There is definitely a strong increase in more exotic products, especially in the last ten years. Overall, the share of foreign produce is not that high though.” The cultivation of some exotic species, like the shii-takes, is also taking root in Holland. Grower Tonny Hooijmans however, doesn’t think domestic cultivation will make a big impact: “I can buy the Eryngii in China for 4 Euro; in Holland this product will cost me 9 Euro. That won’t take off.”
“It’s up to individual growers to anticipate the profitability of such a domestic endeavour,” says Annelotte Crena de Iongh of The Greenery. “Right now, the demand probably isn’t big enough to warrant the undertaking. It all depends on the consumer’s preference, whether or not he is willing to pay more for a local product. The costs of domestic produce are not necessarily lower.”