Evidently Janet Yellen is a mushroom fan. Reports are now emerging that she happily dined on not one, but FOUR helpings of these magical mushrooms.

“Speculating from the timestamp on the news, it was true that she came (to the restaurant) right after landing in China. Our staff said she loved mushrooms very much. She ordered four portions of jian shou qing (a Yunnan wild mushroom species). It was an extremely magical day.”

What’s so interesting about these mushrooms and Janet Yellen’s trip to China? A few things. Let’s start with the awkward bobblehead bowing to her economic counterpart at the start of their talks. 

Guess what? You don’t BOW when meeting other leaders and you sure as hell don’t bow in China! That said, did Yellen accomplish anything during her China trip? Not much. 

Instead it was all sorts of talk about diversity and de-risking instead of decoupling, but nothing new on the policy front from either country. 

“There is an important distinction between decoupling, on the one hand, and on the other hand, diversifying critical supply chains or taking targeted national security actions,” she said.

~Snip

Conspicuously missing from a news conference Ms. Yellen held on Sunday, and from a separate statement by China’s official news agency, Xinhua, was any suggestion that even one of the many trade, investment and technology issues between the two countries had been resolved.

What Janet DID accomplish was igniting a new/old food craze through the country. What is it about those mushrooms??

Jian shou qing, which translates literally as “see hand blue,” gets its Chinese name from one of its defining characteristics – the inner surface of the mushroom bruises and turns blue when you apply pressure on it, including during the slicing process.

It’s an umbrella term for a family of mushrooms, but in Yunnan, jian shou qing mostly refers to what scientists call “Lanmaoa asiatica.”

“It’s a medium- to large-sized mushroom, reddish color on the outside and yellow underneath and looks very similar to some of the porcini mushrooms,” says Dr. Peter Mortimer, a professor at Kunming Institute of Botany.

Sounds great! Looks interesting for sure. As I’m a fan of mushrooms, those would be something I’d consider trying when traveling ….right? Except for one teeny tiny little issue with this particular kind of mushroom. 

The Jian mushrooms, like many others, have hallucinogenic qualities. Yes, you read that correctly. 

You thought you were walking straight but you just fell sideways,” one gourmand told the Xinhua state news agency in a report about the ‘shroom’s potent powers — published only after Yellen departed.

“I have a friend who mistakenly ate them and hallucinated for three days,” Dr. Peter Mortimer, a professor at Kunming Institute of Botany, told CNN.

Not to worry! All four servings of these magical ‘shrooms were properly prepared and cooked thoroughly.

Yes, we are poking fun at Janet’s mushroom diplomacy. However, I’ll be the first to admit that, when I travel, I enjoy experiencing the food native to that area. It’s part of the experience and certainly is good for the local economy. 

Yet, this report on her mushroom intake and the TYPE of mushrooms on the heels of her bobblehead bow makes for some very interesting optics. 

Cocaine and marijuana in the Biden White House, Shrooms on the road: what could possibly go wrong?#TheGreatAmericaShow
Treasury Secy Janet Yellen dined on psychedelic mushrooms in China: report https://t.co/ERyVPtG5iO via @nypost

— Lou Dobbs (@LouDobbs) July 16, 2023

While Janet Yellen may not accomplish much of anything during her tenure as Treasury Secretary, she’ll have not one but two claims to fame on her resume. Bobblehead bowing and magical mushrooms. Quite the winning combination isn’t it?

Feature Photo Credit: Original artwork by Victory Girls Darleen Click