Enoki are white or yellow button mushrooms which grow in delicate bunches. They are grown in a sort of plastic bottle, with light exclusion and sealed with high carbon dioxide. This leads to the light colour and the tall stems. They are rich in vitamins B1 and B2, and also contain enzymes that are converted into vitamin D in the body. Avoid overcooking in order to preserve their unique texture. The base of the stems should be cut off. Enoki mushrooms are used in soups and salads, as well as in simmered and nabe dishes. They are cultivars of the wild velvet shank mushroom, which is also good to eat, despite being rather slimy. Because that grows in the open air, it is both darker and shorter, with a wider cap and barely recognisable as a relative. In nature these mushrooms grow on the stumps of the Chinese hackberry tree, known in Japanese as the enoki. (If gathering mushrooms you must be absolutely certain what you have before you eat them as many are very poisonous.)