These delicate, sweet flavoured mushrooms have acquired their English name because of the method of cultivation on beds of straw.
They look like miniature helmets and are the most popular variety of mushroom in Thai cooking.
Straw mushrooms are used extensively in soups, salads and curries, and taste particularly good with prawns (shrimp) and crab meat.
Canned straw mushrooms are widely available from Asian stores and many supermarkets.
They have neither the exquisite flavour nor the texture of the fresh mushrooms, but can be an acceptable substitute.
Fresh straw mushrooms are highly perishable and so are not often available in the West.
If you do locate them, use them as soon
as possible after purchase.