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AMAKHOWE MUSHROOMS Nature's Little Giants on a Plate

AMAKHOWE MUSHROOMS Nature's Little Giants on a Plate

Author: By Kasia Yoko
Date: 2026-09-25

Amakhowe mushrooms are finally in season, and if you see these beautiful giants for sale on the side of the road, stop and buy them. Just make sure you have a little patience when you get home.

Before you embark on this culinary discovery, prepare yourself for the rather tedious job of cleaning them. These mushrooms have usually come straight from the earth, carrying plenty of mud and sand with them. Take your time and clean them properly. If you don't get all that sand out, you could end up with a bowl of delicious mushrooms accompanied by an unpleasant mouthful of crunchy grit!

There is something quite magical about amakhowe. They seem to arrive almost overnight, often after a good electric storm when the earth has been soaked. And then, almost as if by some secret underground agreement, they pop up around ant hills. One day there is nothing and the next, these magnificent fungi are standing proudly above the grass.

And they are not just beautiful. Mushrooms are naturally nutritious, providing protein, fibre, B vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, while being relatively low in calories. Amakhowe are a wonderful food from the earth and, in my humble opinion, deserve far more attention on our dinner tables.

YOU WILL NEED

Amakhowe mushrooms

Butter

Shallots or onion

Fresh garlic

Fresh thyme

Celery salt

THE KASIA YOKO WAY

Once your mushrooms are beautifully clean, slice them into generous pieces.

Here comes the important part. Dry pan fry the mushrooms first. No butter, no oil, nothing. Let them cook slowly until they release all their beautiful liquid and that liquid has completely evaporated.

Keep going until the mushrooms begin to caramelise slightly around the edges. This is where the magic starts.

Now add a generous knob of butter, followed by your chopped shallots or onion and fresh garlic. Let everything cook together until the onions are soft and golden and the kitchen smells absolutely irresistible.

Finish with plenty of fresh thyme and a little celery salt.

I love serving these earthy, buttery mushrooms piled generously onto creamy mashed potatoes, with a fresh, crunchy salad on the side.

Simple food. Good ingredients. A little patience.

And perhaps the best part is knowing that these magnificent mushrooms appeared after a storm, right out there in the earth, waiting for someone to notice them.