Ivory Needle Mushroom

The Ivory Needle mushroom is an unusual species of fungi, existing entirely as a cultivated variety with its wild origins unknown. Ivory needles are grown in bottles of glass or clay, and not allowed to be touched by sunlight. This produces mushrooms that are small, with long thin stems, and pale ivory-white in colour.

Ivory needle mushrooms are popular in cooking, said to be the ‘perfected mushroom for soups’ though also sometimes used raw in salads. It is said to have medicinal properties in helping fight off infections and reducing joint pain, but only when cooked and eaten: raw preparations are said to weaken the heart.