In a May 4 TikTok video, Brown explains that she’s never quite managed to shake the craving for particular types of shelled seafood, such as crab legs and lobster. Luckily, she found a way to recreate those flavors and textures for herself in a satisfying way by using enoki mushrooms, which she claims mimic shelled seafood to perfection.
Enoki mushrooms are much different in shape than regular button mushrooms or even larger options, such as portobello mushrooms. As The Spruce Eats explains, they have a long, thin shape, almost resembling thin pasta noodles with tiny caps on the ends. You may recognize them if you frequently make Japanese, Korean, or Chinese dishes. As a bonus, Brown’s preparation of the mushrooms is incredibly simple; it’s not a three-day process to capture that shelled seafood flavor and texture. All she does to enjoy the enoki mushrooms is cut off the base, add some oil and seasoning, and sear them in a frying pan in large clusters.
The video racked up more than 338,000 likes, as well as 1,550 comments. Many commented on how good the dish looked and how they’d be making it later, complimenting her ingenuity at coming up with the substitute. However, another follower suggested an alternative as well, telling Brown to try Bear’s Tooth or Lion’s Mane mushrooms if she’s looking for something that tastes exactly like crab.