Humans have long been fascinated by mushrooms, regarding them variously as gifts from the gods (and a way of communing with them), temptations offered by supernatural beings, homes to elves and fairies and a miracle cure for cancer.
Many varieties of fungi are found in the forests and hills of Yunnan province, where they grow wild from July to September. The mountain treasures are more than just food, too. Mushroom importer Winnie Wong Sze-man, director of food importer Luen Kee Hoo, says fungi have medicinal properties.
She became interested in them after sourcing Chinese matsutake mushrooms to ease her mother's cancer symptoms.
'When my mother fell ill with cancer in 2000, our doctor suggested matsutake mushrooms to keep her immune system up,' says Wong. 'Back then, they were difficult and expensive to source. When I explored importing fresh wild mushrooms, I realised there was a niche market in Hong Kong.'
She's been importing wild mushrooms for her business for more than five years, and says wild mushroom mania in Hong Kong started during the Sars outbreak in 2003.
'At that time, people started realising that a healthy diet translated to healthy living,' says Wong. 'Mushrooms are high in protein and give a wide range of essential amino acids. They're low in fat and high in fibre and have several groups of vitamins. For instance, matsutake is rich in vitamin B and lifts the immune system.'