Is Snow Fungus produced outside China?
My grandparents in Toronto need snow fungus to make Snow Fungus dessert soup. But they've found only ones from China. They prefer to buy locally, and are too frightened by China's countless food safety incidents to buy foods from China.
Best Answer
To specifically answer the question of if it is grown outside of China, the answer is yes. However, If you want it local grown, probably not unless you know someone who does it individually, it is tropical and Toronto / Canada is not that.
The only incident cited in the article that might pose a remote possibility of contamination is about the bleached foods containing carcinogenic compounds. I'm not convinced this is a solid foundation to have a fear driven reaction. Buy organic and look for dried and chemical free mushrooms like the one posted from Amazon in the next paragraph. Although, I'm not sure this specific species of mushroom grows in any other color that it would need bleached to sell. Also, it is widely available commercially and not expensive to cultivate, meaning the incentive to alter a cheaper version to make a bigger profit seems very very unlikely.
However, if you insist on not buying Chinese, it is also cultivated commercially in Vietnam. Look for / ask for a Vietnamese brand or probably even Thai. Tremella fuciformis (Snow Fungus) is also cultivated in other East Asian countries, with some limited cultivation elsewhere.[14]:327 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tremella_fuciformis#cite_note-Chang-14.
A quick search on Amazon didn't show any brands not from China, so I think you might be stuck. But then you can check reviews on Amazon and see if anyone got sick or anything off a specific brand, might be "safest" / most comforting route. https://www.amazon.com/Fortune-Compressed-Mushroom-Fuciformis-Unbleached/dp/B000LTMDLY/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?keywords=tremella+mushroom+thailand&qid=1564231105&s=grocery&sr=1-1-fkmr0
Fear is the mind killer.
Good luck.
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Quick Answer about "Is Snow Fungus produced outside China?"
Snow fungus (pronounced syut yi in Cantonese), and known as silver ear fungus and snow ear fungus, is part of the fungi kingdom. It can be found in warm and moist regions like the tropics as well as in countries including Asia, Australia, New Zealand and America.Where does snow fungus come from?
Snow Fungus is native to subtropical and tropical regions around the world including Brazil, Taiwan, China, Japan, and other Asian countries.Where is snow fungus found?
While predominantly found in China, it also thrives in tropical climates like the Pacific Islands, Nigeria, Hawaii, and India. It grows on tree trunks and fallen logs in the wild but can be cultivated as well (1).Where does Tremella grow?
Tremella mushrooms grow in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide, including South and Central America, the Caribbean, Australia, New Zealand, Asia and parts of North America. They enjoy humid tropical conditions and you'll find them growing on dead or dying logs and branches from broadleaf trees.How is snow fungus grown?
Also known as the Silver Ear mushroom, Tremella mushroom, White Jelly fungus, White fungus, and White Tree fungus, Snow mushrooms grow in tropical climates on dead branches of broadleaf trees and are also cultivated in China for their medicinal properties.How tremella mushrooms are grown and produced in SE China
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