Fungi-flavored drinks and snacks surge in popularity

The recent surge in popularity of lurid bolete (commonly known as jianshouqing in China) mushroom-flavored cola, has spotlighted a growing trend of fungi-flavored foods, according to a report by news portal Chuncheng Evening News.

In just five days, 7,000 bottles of the drink were sold in Chuxiong Yi autonomous prefecture, Yunnan province, according to the Kunming Metropolitan Times.

Fungi-inspired leisure foods have become part of everyday consumption, like the mushroom-flavored cola, termitomyces-flavored mooncakes, or boletus-flavored milk tea and coffee.

At Shangshan Hecha Teahouse in Kunming, the boletus-flavored milk tea is popular, especially among young people who are enthusiastic about novel flavors, with approximately 50 cups sold each day. Another Kunming cafe serves boletus-flavored coffee.

Meanwhile, a bakery in the city offers mooncakes flavored with termitomyces and matsutake mushrooms as its main products, even after Mid-Autumn Festival.

"The popularity of fungi-flavored snacks varies across different regions," said Wang, a head of procurement at a supermarket in Yunnan. For example, while cookies flavored with fungi have gained quite a following outside of Yunnan province, they are not very popular within the province itself, despite the local fondness for fungi.

She reminded consumers that as the variety of mushroom-flavored products continues to grow, it is important to carefully check the actual mushroom content in the ingredients list, verify the manufacturer's credentials, and ensure the product has safety certifications.