John Miller
Shiitake mushrooms, native to East Asia, are cultivated and consumed around the world. They are believed to have been on Earth for over 100 million years and have been cultivated in China for at least 600 years. Today, they are grown in various regions, including Europe and North America. However, the influx of cheaper Chinese shiitake imports has negatively impacted local growers in countries like the United States, leading to concerns about misleading labels and calls for increased health inspections for imported mushroom products.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Native to | East Asia |
| Natural distribution | Warm and moist climates in Southeast Asia |
| Earliest written record of cultivation | Records of Longquan County compiled by He Zhan in 1209 during the Song dynasty in China |
| Other names | Sawtooth oak mushroom, black forest mushroom, black mushroom, golden oak mushroom, oakwood mushroom |
| Grown in | Europe, North America |
| Imported from | China |
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What You'll Learn
Shiitake mushrooms are native to East Asia
Shiitake mushrooms, or Lentinula edodes, are native to East Asia. They are a macrofungus that grows in groups on the decaying wood of deciduous trees, particularly the shii and other chinquapins, chestnut, oak, maple, beech, sweetgum, poplar, hornbeam, ironwood, and mulberry. The earliest written record of shiitake cultivation is from the Song dynasty in China, dating back to 1209. In China, shiitake is also known as the "black forest mushroom".
Shiitake mushrooms have been cultivated in China for at least 600 years and were first scientifically described by Miles Joseph Berkeley in 1877. The natural distribution of these mushrooms includes warm and moist climates in Southeast Asia. It is believed that shiitake mushrooms have been on Earth since the Cretaceous period, over 100 million years ago, and that their spores were spread across Asia during typhoon season.
Today, shiitake mushrooms are cultivated and consumed around the world, including in Europe and North America. They were introduced to the United States in 1972, when a ban on importing live shiitake cultures was lifted. The cultivation of shiitake mushrooms in the US has faced challenges due to competition from Chinese imports, with some US growers expressing concerns about the "Product of the USA" labels on mushrooms harvested from imported Chinese logs.
The shiitake mushroom gets its name from the Japanese word "shiitake", which is a combination of ""shii, the tree on which it typically grows, and "take", meaning "mushroom". In addition to "black forest mushroom", shiitake mushrooms have various other common names, including "sawtooth oak mushroom", "golden oak mushroom", and "oakwood mushroom".
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They are cultivated and consumed globally
Shiitake mushrooms are cultivated and consumed all over the world. They are native to East Asia and have been cultivated in China since at least the 1200s. The earliest written record of shiitake cultivation is from the Records of Longquan County, compiled by He Zhan in 1209 during the Song dynasty in China. The Japanese also cultivated the mushroom by cutting shii trees with axes and placing the logs by trees that were already growing shiitake or contained shiitake spores.
Today, shiitake mushrooms are grown in many places around the world, including Europe and North America. They account for about a quarter of all mushrooms commercially produced each year. The process of cultivating shiitake mushrooms typically involves growing them on dead logs of trees such as castanopsis, which provides the ideal conditions for their growth.
In recent years, there has been some controversy in the United States regarding the import of Chinese shiitake log imports. Domestic shiitake growers have faced competition from cheaper Chinese imports, which has led to a decline in sales and even bankruptcies for some US growers. The issue is not solely about competition but also the misleading "Product of the USA" labels on some of these imported products, which has prompted domestic growers to seek changes in how these products are classified and regulated.
Despite these challenges, shiitake mushrooms remain a popular and globally consumed food item, with cultivation practices adapted to various regions and climates. Their distinct flavour and texture make them a sought-after ingredient in cuisines worldwide, contributing to their widespread cultivation and consumption.
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They have been grown in China since the 1200s
Shiitake mushrooms, or "black forest mushrooms", are native to East Asia and have been cultivated in China since the 1200s. The earliest written record of shiitake cultivation is from 1209, during the Song dynasty, in the Records of Longquan County compiled by He Zhan. The Japanese also cultivated the mushroom by cutting shii trees with axes and placing the logs by trees that were already growing shiitake or contained shiitake spores.
Today, shiitake mushrooms are grown all around the world, including in Europe and North America. They account for about a quarter of all mushrooms commercially produced each year.
In China, shiitake mushrooms grow in groups on the decaying wood of deciduous trees, particularly shii and other chinquapins, chestnut, oak, maple, beech, sweetgum, poplar, hornbeam, ironwood, and mulberry. Its natural distribution includes warm and moist climates in Southeast Asia.
Shiitake mushrooms have been cultivated in China for at least six hundred years, but they were not grown in the United States until 1972, when a ban on importing live shiitake cultures was lifted. The cultivation of shiitake mushrooms in China has had a significant impact on the mushroom industry in the United States. Chinese shiitake log imports have been devastating to U.S. growers, with many customers opting for the cheaper Chinese imports. This has led to a decline in sales and even bankruptcy for some U.S. mushroom growers.
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The US shiitake growers face competition from Chinese imports
Shiitake mushrooms, native to East Asia, have been cultivated in China for hundreds of years. They were first grown in the United States in 1972, after a ban on importing live shiitake cultures was lifted. Today, they are cultivated and consumed worldwide, including in Europe and North America, and account for about a quarter of all commercially produced mushrooms annually.
The cultivation of shiitake mushrooms involves growing them in groups on the decaying wood of deciduous trees, particularly the shii tree and other chinquapins, chestnuts, oaks, maples, beeches, and more. Their natural distribution includes warm and moist climates in Southeast Asia.
While shiitake mushrooms are now grown in the United States, US growers face competition from Chinese imports. This competition has had devastating effects on some US growers, as evident in the case of Oakshire Mushroom Farm LLC, which filed for bankruptcy in 2019. The company's CEO, Gary Schroeder, attributed their financial troubles to the influx of much cheaper Chinese shiitake substrate logs, which caused their customers to switch suppliers to save money.
The issue is not solely about Chinese competition but also the misleading "Product of the USA" labels on imported shiitake mushrooms. Robin Gillette, president and owner of Top Hat Mushrooms Inc., an organic shiitake grower, explained how their sales dropped by half when customers switched to Chinese log imports. Domestic shiitake growers are fighting this classification, arguing that the resulting mushrooms should be subject to more health inspection certificates.
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The US growers are concerned about misleading Product of the USA labels
Shiitake mushrooms are native to East Asia and have been cultivated in China for hundreds of years. They were not grown in the United States until 1972, and today they are cultivated and consumed around the world, including in Europe and North America.
The issue of importing shiitake mushrooms from China has been a concern for US growers, who have questioned the "Product of the USA" labels that they believe mislead consumers. Robin Gillette, president and owner of Top Hat Mushrooms Inc., a third-generation company that grows only organic shiitake mushrooms, said that the issue is not about Chinese competition but about the misleading labels. Gillette stated that Top Hat's sales dropped by half when customers switched to Chinese log imports.
US growers are concerned that the "Product of the USA" labels are allowed due to a loophole in the COOL (Country of Origin Labelling) regulations, which state that shiitake mushrooms harvested from imported logs can be marketed as from the US if they are harvested in the US. Domestic shiitake growers say they will continue to fight this classification, arguing that the resulting product is not spawn (the mushroom equivalent of a seed) and therefore requires more health inspection certificates.
The bankruptcy of a Pennsylvania mushroom grower, Oakshire Mushroom Farm LLC, in 2019, has been attributed to the influx of cheaper Chinese shiitake substrate logs, which caused Oakshire to lose customers as retailers and other US mushroom growers opted to save money by harvesting shiitakes themselves. Oakshire's CEO, Gary Schroeder, expressed his frustration with the situation, stating that there are "so many layers of this that are just wrong." Despite the bankruptcy, Oakshire plans to continue producing a small amount of shiitake mushrooms and is seeking to include Chinese logs in the retaliatory tariffs on Chinese fresh mushroom imports.
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Frequently asked questions
No, shiitake mushrooms are cultivated all around the world, including in Europe and North America.
Shiitake mushrooms are native to East Asia, where they grow on the decaying wood of deciduous trees. They have been cultivated in China since at least the 1200s.
Some US shiitake growers have gone bankrupt due to the cheaper price of Chinese imports. There is also controversy over the "'Product of the USA' labels" on these mushrooms, which some claim mislead consumers.
