The Mushroom That's a Reminder of Home

“It’s like gold,” Alain Lemaire, a Haitian chef in Miami, said of the mushroom. When his mother visits from Haiti, she brings about five pounds with her. He vacuum-seals the mushrooms and leaves them in the refrigerator for four months or more.

Mr. Lemaire, the chef, and Natacha Gomez-Dupuy, the author of “Bak Fritay: Haitian Street Foods,” have also been experimenting with djon-djon by using it as an ingredient in foods like fresh pasta, gnocchi, aiolis and even in a homemade Oreo. Ms. Gomez-Dupuy has finished writing a book solely about the many ways people can use the mushroom.

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