Enoki Mushrooms: USDA Nutrition, Listeria Recalls and How to Cook Them

Enoki are long, thin, white mushrooms with tiny caps, usually sold in tight clusters with the base still attached. They are especially popular in East Asian cooking, where they go into hot pots, soups and stir-fries. USDA data show that a cup of sliced raw enoki has 24 calories and supplies 29% of the Daily Value for niacin. Enoki also have a food safety history worth knowing: they were linked to Listeria outbreaks in 2020 and 2022 to 2023, and FDA and CDC advise cooking them thoroughly. This guide covers what enoki mushrooms are, cultivated vs wild enoki, USDA nutrition, the outbreaks and recalls, and how to cook enoki.

Peptide Labs does not sell enoki or enoki products. This article is general nutrition information, not medical advice.

What are enoki mushrooms?

FDA describes enoki as long, thin, white mushrooms usually sold in clusters, also known as enokitake, golden needle mushrooms, futu, seafood mushrooms or lily mushrooms. Botanists now call the cultivated enoki of East Asia Flammulina filiformis; papers in BMC Genomics in 2020 and the Journal of Fungi in 2022 note that it was previously known as Asian Flammulina velutipes, a name still used in some research papers.

Its other common name is winter mushroom. A 2020 study in PLOS ONE describes Flammulina filiformis as a species with a preference for low temperatures that is cultivated at a large commercial scale in East Asia. In the kitchen, enoki have a mild, slightly fruity flavor and a crisp, springy texture that softens when cooked.

Cultivated vs wild enoki

Store-bought enoki and wild forms of the same species can look quite different. A 2023 study in the Journal of Fungi notes that, in nature, these winter mushrooms vary in the color of their fruiting bodies from black, yellow, pale yellow or beige to white, and it identified a gene variant found only in white strains. A 2026 study in the journal Foods describes color as an important commercial trait and notes that most natural varieties are yellow. The white enoki sold in stores come from white strains selected for cultivation; a 2010 study in Virology Journal refers to the white cultivated strains grown in Japan.

This guide does not explain how to find or identify wild mushrooms, and it gives no foraging tips. Some poisonous mushrooms resemble edible ones; a CDC report in MMWR described 14 death cap poisonings in Northern California in December 2016 and urged warning the public against eating foraged wild mushrooms. Eat only cultivated enoki from a store unless an expert has identified a wild mushroom, and call Poison Control or seek medical care if someone becomes ill after eating one.

Enoki mushroom nutrition (USDA SR Legacy)

The USDA SR Legacy database lists Mushrooms, enoki, raw (FDC 169382). There is no cooked enoki entry, so the table shows raw values, with percent Daily Values (%DV) based on FDA reference amounts.

Enoki are mostly water and carbohydrate, with very little fat and almost no sodium in USDA data. Their standout nutrient is niacin: per 100 g raw, USDA lists 44% of the Daily Value, more than oyster or white mushrooms. They also supply pantothenic acid, thiamin and folate. Our niacin foods guide compares enoki with other sources.

Enoki are not a vitamin D food. USDA lists almost none in raw enoki, and NIH’s Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) notes that mushrooms provide variable amounts of vitamin D2, with higher amounts in mushrooms exposed to UV light. Our vitamin D food guide lists foods with more.

Enoki vs oyster and white mushrooms

Per 100 g raw, enoki list the most fiber, niacin, thiamin and folate of these three mushrooms in USDA data, while oyster and white mushrooms list more copper and protein. Our oyster mushrooms guide and mushrooms guide cover the other types.

Enoki Listeria outbreaks and recalls

In 2020, FDA, CDC and state partners investigated a multistate outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infections linked to enoki mushrooms from Green Co. LTD of the Republic of Korea. FDA’s final count was 36 illnesses, 31 hospitalizations and 4 deaths in 17 states, with illnesses starting between November 2016 and December 2019. Three US distributors recalled enoki imported from Korea, FDA import samples matched the outbreak strain, and the Korean producer was placed on FDA import alerts. FDA later called it the first known Listeria outbreak in the United States linked to enoki.

FDA noted that Listeria can survive refrigerator temperatures and can easily spread to other foods and surfaces. During that investigation, Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety recommended that enoki be cooked before eating and required large producers to add labels saying so.

A second enoki outbreak followed. FDA reports that in 2022 and 2023, five people in four states became ill with the outbreak strains of Listeria, all five were hospitalized, one illness was linked to a pregnancy and no deaths were reported. FDA traced likely sources to enoki imported from China. Sampling found Listeria in many enoki products, some at high levels, and FDA reports more than 20 recalls of enoki for potential Listeria contamination since 2020. As of FDA’s 2023 update, an FDA import alert allows shipments of enoki from the Republic of Korea and China to be detained without physical examination.

FDA and CDC advice: cook enoki thoroughly

CDC and FDA advise people who are pregnant, aged 65 or older, or have a weakened immune system to cook enoki mushrooms thoroughly, and to avoid eating enoki mushrooms raw, keep raw enoki mushrooms separate from foods that won’t be cooked, and wash their hands, items and surfaces that have touched raw enoki mushrooms. FDA also says restaurants should cook enoki thoroughly before serving them.

That advice is aimed at people who are pregnant, older or have a weakened immune system. Korean regulators went further and asked producers to label enoki for cooking, and cooking enoki is a sensible kitchen habit for everyone. Add enoki to hot dishes rather than salads, and keep the raw clusters away from ready-to-eat foods in your refrigerator and on your cutting board. FDA advises people who have symptoms to contact their health care provider. Our guides to deli meat and cantaloupe cover Listeria advice for other foods.

Are enoki mushrooms healthy?

As a food, enoki are a low-calorie, low-fat source of niacin, other B vitamins and fiber in USDA data, and they fit into a varied diet like other vegetables, as long as they are cooked. There are no good human trials of eating enoki for a specific health outcome, so claims you may see online go beyond the evidence. Mushroom supplements are a different category, covered in our mushroom coffee guide.

How to cook enoki mushrooms

• Choose: pick firm, dry, white clusters with no slimy or brown patches, and check that the package is not on a recall list.
• Store: keep the package in the refrigerator, sealed and away from foods that will not be cooked, and cook it soon.
• Trim: cut off the spongy base where the stems join, then pull the stems apart into small bunches. Discard the base and any packaging.
• Cook thoroughly: simmer enoki in soups, hot pots, miso soup or ramen, or stir-fry or pan-sear them until they are hot all the way through and wilted.
• Clean up: wash your hands, knives, boards and counters after handling raw enoki.

Allergy and other practical notes

• Allergens: mushrooms are not among the nine major food allergens that US labels must declare. Reactions are uncommon but possible; in a 2024 case report in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: Global, a patient who reacted to button mushrooms also tested positive to enoki.
• Recalls: FDA posts enoki recalls on its recalls page; if your package matches a recall, do not eat it, and clean any surfaces or containers it touched.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions about a label? Contact us or read our Buyer’s Guide. Food comes first; follow the label and ask a healthcare provider before starting a supplement, especially if you take medicines, are pregnant or have a food allergy. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Last reviewed October 2026.

Related guides: Oyster Mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus): Nutrition and How to Cook Them, Shiitake: Nutrition, Dried Shiitake and Why to Cook Them Well, Ramen: Instant Ramen Nutrition, Sodium and Research.