While popcorn chicken has long ruled the snack kingdom, its fungal cousin, popcorn mushrooms, is staging a delicious coup straight from Taiwan’s street food scene.
According to culinary gossip, this snack originated from Taipei’s Shilin Night Market, where vendors transformed oyster mushrooms into crispy, bite-sized morsels that dared to challenge their poultry counterparts. As the dish evolved, vendors discovered that baby button mushrooms offered an even more satisfying crunch and robust structure that was perfect for withstanding the heat of frying.
Unlike conventional fried fungi, these golden nuggets seasoned with biltong dust, chilli flakes, soy sauce, and hoisin sauce are crafted to capture the irresistible texture of popcorn. Recipe compliments of the South African Mushroom Farmers’ Association.
Ingredients
- 300 g baby button mushrooms
- ½ cup Panko bread crumbs
- ½ cup biltong dust
- 1 cup plain popcorn
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- ½ lemon, zested
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- Olive oil for frying
Method
-
Blitz the popcorn in a food processor until you’ve made chunky crumbs.
-
Mix the panko, popcorn crumbs, biltong dust, chilli flakes, sesame seeds and lemon zest in a large mixing bowl and set aside.
-
In a non stick frying pan add a drizzle of olive oil and sauté the mushrooms until they release their water and begin to brown.
-
Add the soy sauce and hoisin and roll them around to glaze each one. Allow the sauce to reduce and become sticky.
-
Toss the glazed mushrooms in the popcorn mix making sure each one is well coated.
-
Serve as a snack in jars or cones at a party or while watching your favourite TV show.
