A bizarre ram mushroom, or curly griffin, is only known to avid fans of the "silent hunt." However, this is a valuable product with many useful qualities - the healing properties of the fungus are really amazing. A description of the ram mushroom, as well as information about where it grows and where to go in search of it, you will find further.
Mushroom-ram: photo and description
Curly grifola looks like a lot of flat semicircular hats attached to a tree trunk. The diameter of one hat varies from 5 mm to 10 cm. The edge is wavy, which is why the mushroom is called "ram", "curly". Its legs are small, thin, merge together at the bottom, so the ram mushroom is somewhat similar to a curly bouquet.
Did you know? Recent studies show that the ram mushroom has a detrimental effect on the human immunodeficiency virus. Probably, the active components of the product will be used in developing a cure for this as yet incurable disease.
One fruiting body, consisting of many mushrooms, grows up to 0.8 m in diameter. The mass of such a bunch is from 4 to 10 kg. The skin color is beige or light brown, the surface is rough. The pulp is dense and fleshy, brittle. Spore powder is white.
Where and when it grows
Mushroom ram in Russia belongs to the Red Book varieties. It is rare in the natural environment, but enterprising farmers grow it in greenhouses. It grows on deciduous trees - oaks, beeches, maples, chestnuts. The species loves a humid environment and most likely will grow where dew falls abundantly. You can find curly grifola on stumps. More common mushroom in Asia and North America. Ripening period - July - October.
When and how to collect
By the end of July, the ram mushroom fully ripens for consumption. You can continue the collection until mid-autumn. Curly griffin is cut from a tree with a whole bunch at the very base. For further preparation, the mushroom is divided into "inflorescences", like cauliflower.
Video: ram mushroom
Edibility and Cooking
Mushroom ram is safe for health. It is rarely used in cooking, as it is listed in the Red Book. However, curly grifola can be prepared without fear. The product is great for frying, baking, cooking soups, mushroom fillings and drying.
Important! Fresh mushrooms are consumed in the first 2 days after harvest. To extend the shelf life, the product is dried in an oven or electric dryer.
Calories and Vitamins
Grifola curly low-calorie. Nutritional value per 100 g of product is 300 kcal. The ratio of the BJU is as follows:
- proteins - 3.7 g;
- fats - 1.7 g;
- carbohydrates - 1.1 g.
If you eat ram mushroom for the first time, try a small amount of food first. So it becomes known whether you are allergic to the product and whether it can be used in the future.
The ram mushroom also contains a large number of vitamins, macro- and microelements:
| Vitamins | B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9, B12, C, D, E |
| Macronutrients | Calcium, Potassium, Sodium, Magnesium, Phosphorus |
| Trace elements | Iron, Manganese, Zinc, Selenium, Copper |
Pharmacological properties
Mushroom ram is widely used in oriental folk medicine. It is common in Asia, so several thousand years have been known about its healing properties.
- The product is used to treat:
- inflammatory processes;
- bacterial diseases;
- tuberculosis (for symptomatic therapy);
- general decline in immunity;
- pains of any nature;
- metabolic disorders.
Modern studies of scientists confirm the opinion of ancient healers. Mushroom ram partially inhibits the group of cyclooxygenase enzymes, due to which it works as a painkiller. The effect of the product is comparable to that of ibuprofen and paracetamol. Curly griffol is also used as a natural cosmetic product. The fungus prevents aging and restores youthfulness to the skin.
Did you know? In Japan, curly griffin is known by the name "meitake" - "dancing mushroom."
Contraindications and possible harm
Given the beneficial properties of ram mushroom, most people can use the product without fear. However, there are several contraindications in which you cannot eat curly grifol.
These include:
- age up to 12 years;
- pregnancy;
- breast-feeding;
- individual allergic reaction;
- acute and chronic gastrointestinal diseases.
In other cases, the product has a beneficial effect on the human body.
In Russia, you are unlikely to collect a basket of ram mushrooms, because even if you find them, you should not cut them, because curly griffin is listed in the Red Book. However, this variety is common in Asian countries - here it can be collected without fear. If possible, be sure to try a dish with ram mushroom - it is both tasty and healthy.
