Shiitakes are an ancient mushrooms but are now very commonly cultivated, so you can find them almost as readily as the button or oyster mushroom. Or, depending where you live, you can forage for them in the wild. You can even grow them yourself with a shiitake mushroom growing kit.
If you’re not in love with shiitake mushrooms, you should be.
This delicious and nutritious fungus, which is native to East Asia and common in North America, has many qualities to love. Its Japanese name comes from one of the hardwood trees that the mushrooms grow on, called shii.
Let’s look at why you need to start a loving relationship with the shiitake mushroom.
Shiitake Is Good for Your Health
The shiitake has long been used in traditional medicine for its benefits, and clinical trials are proving those advantages.
Shiitake has the positive health traits common to many mushrooms, as they contain fiber, vitamins and minerals, while also being low in caloric value and fat. Shiitakes are also a good source of iron, important for vegetarians whose diets may be lacking in it, and they have antioxidants, which help reduce harmful free radicals. Shiitakes also contain D-Eritadenine, or DEA, which supports cardiovascular health and helps lower cholesterol.
And now clinical trials are also showing that shiitake may also provide a boost to immunity, help to fight cancer, and more.
For instance, one study looked at whether consumption of whole, dried shiitake mushrooms could improve human immune function. After 4 weeks of consumption, the test group showed improvement, including boosted gut immunity. The conclusion of the study was that shiitake consumption resulted in improved immunity, and that the improvements occurred under conditions that were less inflammatory than what existed before consumption.
Even more compelling is the presence of lentinan, a polysaccharide extracted from shiitake mushrooms that has been used in traditional medicine to improve general health for thousands of years in Asia. Various clinical studies are also showing its advantages.
A review of randomized controlled trials over 12 years displayed results that lentinan is effective not only in improving quality of life, but also in promoting the efficacy of chemotherapy during lung cancer treatment. Another study cited several types of mushroom extracts and compounds as having suppressive action on breast cancer, including shiitake.
Shiitake Is Easy to Find
With all those benefits, it’s reassuring to know that shiitake is relatively easy to find. As one of the most popular mushrooms around the world, shiitake can be purchased dried or fresh.
Or, you can forage for them in the wild. Shiitake grow in groups on the decaying wood of deciduous trees, in particular chestnut, maple, beech and oak, and of course shii in Asia.
Shiitakes have brown, umbrella-like caps that grow up to 10 inches in diameter, with off-white gills, and tan-colored stems. As always, be sure you know it’s a shiitake mushroom before eating what you find in the wild.
You Can Also Grow Them
Shiitake is a saprotrophic mushroom, which means it breaks down plant matter and converts it into nutrients. They thrive on dead and decaying wood, helping to speed the decomposition process of the tree or plant. To grow saprotrophic mushrooms, the conditions must be just right, as they require water, oxygen, soil with a pH of 7 or less, and cooler temperatures.
They’re traditionally grown on deadwood logs, which can be time consuming. The ones you find in the store are likely the product of alternative techniques for cultivating or farming mushrooms.
You can also purchase a shiitake mushroom growing kit and reap the many benefits at home. This is a pre-packaged kit that provides everything you need to grow your own mushrooms. There are many varieties of kits available, and the shiitake mushroom growing kit is quite common, so it’s easy to produce them at home.
Shiitake Tastes Great
There’s a reason shiitake mushrooms are popular worldwide. Besides the health benefits, they are also loved for the rich, savory flavor, often described as “earthy,” that they add to your meal.
When shiitake caps are cooked, they take on a meaty texture. The stems are somewhat chewy, and if they aren’t cooked long enough, they can be tough.
Shiitake has also been described as having “umami,” one of the five basic tastes along with salty, sour, sweet and bitter. In Japanese, umami means “a pleasant savory taste.”
Shiitake Is Easy To Cook
In East Asia, fresh and dried shiitake is common in a variety of recipes, including miso soup, and as the basis for vegetarian dishes. Shiitakes go great in stir-fry and soup, they can be added to a pizza, and they can even be sautéed and thrown in with eggs.
You can add dried shiitakes directly to a dish, or first soak them first in hot water until they plump up. If you have fresh shiitake mushrooms, remove the stems, and sauté the caps and stems separately, so you can cook the stems a little longer. As with all mushrooms, you want to be sure you give them space in the pan, so they brown and crisp up, since mushrooms naturally have water that they will release when cooking.
Try this flavor boost: sauté the mushrooms in butter and garlic until they’re golden brown. Then add a tablespoon of soy sauce and a tablespoon of lemon juice for each cup of fresh mushrooms. Continue to cook, uncovered, until the mushrooms absorb the liquid, about one more minute.
Or, you can try this recipe for quinoa risotto with shiitake mushrooms in it, courtesy of the Mayo Clinic, which includes mushrooms in its healthy eating suggestions.
Final Thoughts
If you already love shiitake mushrooms, you’ve experienced the delight of eating them while reaping the health benefits they provide. You probably appreciate how easy it is to find them in the store or in the wild, and to add them to recipes.
If you haven’t yet fallen in love with shiitake mushrooms, now is the time.
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