Emily Johnson
Shiitake mushrooms, native to East Asia, are cultivated and consumed around the world. They are also known as black forest mushrooms, golden oak mushrooms, or oakwood mushrooms. They have a rich, earthy flavour and a distinctive meaty taste. The caps of shiitake mushrooms are large, ranging from 2 to 5 inches wide, and they vary in colour from light to dark brown. The flesh of the mushroom is cream-coloured, firm, chewy, and spongy. The mushrooms are prized for their umami flavour and texture, and they are used in a variety of dishes, including soups, stir-fries, and steamed preparations.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Lentinula edodes |
| Botanical Classification | Members of the Marasmiaceae family |
| Common Names | Shiitake, sawtooth oak mushroom, black forest mushroom, golden oak mushroom, oakwood mushroom, black mushroom, dongo, shanku, shiang-gu |
| Origin | Native to East Asia, specifically China and Japan |
| Colour | Tan to dark brown |
| Size | Caps range from 2-4 inches (5-10 cm) in diameter; some sources state that they can be as large as 20 cm in diameter |
| Shape | Round with thick flesh or thinner flesh with an open cap |
| Texture | Meaty, soft, spongy, or typically chewy |
| Taste | Savoury, meaty, or umami |
| Vitamin Content | Vitamin A, B2, B12, C, and D |
| Mineral Content | Iron, calcium, copper, selenium, zinc, and manganese |
| Health Benefits | May boost heart health, improve bone density, and reduce cholesterol; may also have anti-cancer, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties |
| Culinary Uses | Stir-fries, soups, stews, miso soup, vegetarian dashi, stuffed and steamed, omelettes, pasta, grilling, boiling, sautéing, steaming, frying |
| Side Effects | May cause an allergic reaction called shiitake dermatitis, resulting in a skin rash |
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What You'll Learn
Shiitake mushroom caps can be 2–5 inches wide
Shiitake mushrooms are native to East Asia and are cultivated and consumed around the world. They are also known as black mushrooms, golden oak mushrooms, or oakwood mushrooms. They grow in groups on the decaying wood of deciduous trees, especially the shii tree.
The mushrooms have a rich, earthy flavor and a distinctive meaty taste. They have large caps that can be anywhere from 2 to 5 inches wide. The caps vary in color from light to dark brown and have a wide, umbrella shape with a curled rim. The flesh is cream-colored and is firm, chewy, and spongy. The underside of the cap is pale cream, and the gills are white, tightly packed, and not attached to the stem. The stems are ivory to light brown in color, smooth, tough, and fibrous.
Shiitake mushrooms are versatile and flavorful, making them a popular ingredient in many dishes. They can be used fresh or dried, and are commonly used in Chinese and Japanese cuisine. In China, they are used in soups, braises, and stir-fried vegetable dishes, while in Japan, they are used in miso soup and steamed and simmered dishes.
When cooking with shiitake mushrooms, it is recommended to separate the caps from the stems, as the stems take longer to cook. The caps can be left whole, quartered, or thickly sliced, depending on their size. The stems can be used in the same dish, cooked first, or saved for another recipe.
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The mushroom's diameter ranges from 2–8 inches
The diameter of shiitake mushrooms varies, typically ranging from two to eight inches. The sizing is generally based on the size of the cap. Small shiitake caps range from 5/8" to 1 1/4" in diameter, while medium-sized caps measure 1 1/4" to 1 3/4". Large shiitake mushrooms have caps ranging from 1 3/4" to 2 1/2" in diameter. Jumbo shiitakes are even larger, with caps measuring between 2 1/2" and 3 1/4". The largest shiitake mushrooms, those classified as XL Jumbo, have caps that are 2 3/4" to 3 1/2" wide.
The wide range of shiitake mushroom sizes offers a variety of cooking options. Smaller mushrooms can be left whole, while larger ones may be quartered or thickly sliced. Shiitake mushrooms can be sautéed, grilled, fried, boiled, steamed, or grilled. They are a versatile ingredient used in dishes such as stir-fries, soups, and sauces.
The caps of shiitake mushrooms are typically light to dark brown in color, with a wide, umbrella shape and a curled rim. The underside of the cap is pale cream, and the flesh is cream-colored, firm, chewy, and spongy. The ivory to light brown stem is smooth, tough, and fibrous.
When cooked, shiitake mushrooms release a distinctive garlic-pine aroma, contributing to their savory, earthy, and smoky flavor profile. They have a rich, meaty taste and are prized for their umami flavor.
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They are small to medium-sized
Shiitake mushrooms are small to medium-sized. They are native to East Asia and have been consumed and cultivated in the region for over a thousand years. They 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.
The size of a shiitake mushroom can vary depending on the source and specific growing conditions. Typically, the caps of shiitake mushrooms measure between 2 to 5 inches wide, with the entire mushroom ranging from 2 to 8 inches in diameter. The sizing can also vary based on the state, with small shiitake mushrooms measuring between 5/8" to 1 1/4" in diameter, medium ones ranging from 1 1/4" to 1 3/4", and larger sizes going up to XL Jumbo, which can be as big as 3 1/2" in diameter.
The mushrooms have a distinctive appearance, with a curled stem and an attractive umbrella-shaped top. The caps range in color from light to dark brown, and the underside is a pale cream color. The flesh is firm, chewy, and spongy, with a creamy white interior that exudes a garlicky-pine aroma when cooked.
Shiitake mushrooms are versatile in the kitchen and can be used in a variety of dishes. They have a rich, earthy flavor and a meaty texture. When cooking, it is recommended to separate the caps from the stems as the stems take longer to cook. The stems can be used in the same dish, cooked first, or saved for other recipes. Shiitake mushrooms are commonly used in soups, stir-fries, grilled dishes, and as an ingredient in miso soup and vegetarian dashi.
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The caps are larger than the stems
Shiitake mushrooms are easily recognised by their curled stems and umbrella-shaped tops. The caps of these mushrooms are notably larger than the stems, measuring anywhere from 2 to 5 inches wide, while the whole mushroom can range from 2 to 8 inches in diameter. The caps have a wide, umbrella shape with a curled rim, and their colour can vary from light to dark brown. The flesh of the cap is cream-coloured, firm, chewy and spongy, and the gills underneath are white and tightly packed, not attached to the stem.
The stems of shiitake mushrooms are ivory to light brown in colour, smooth, tough and fibrous. When cooking shiitake mushrooms, the caps and stems are usually separated because the stems are tougher and take longer to cook. The stems can be cooked first and then the caps added later, or the stems can be saved for a different dish.
The size of shiitake mushrooms can vary depending on the growing conditions and location. In the United States, the sizing standards for shiitake mushrooms are based on the diameter of the cap. Small shiitake caps measure between 5/8" and 1 1/4" inches, medium caps range from 1 1/4" to 1 3/4", large caps are between 1 3/4" and 2 1/2", jumbo caps go from 2 1/2" to 3 1/4", and XL jumbo caps measure 2 3/4" to 3 1/2" in diameter.
Shiitake mushrooms are prized for their umami flavour and chewy texture, and they are widely used in East and Southeast Asian cuisines. They are also a good source of various vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, B2, B12, C, and D, as well as iron, calcium, copper, selenium, zinc, and manganese.
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They are native to Japan, Korea and China
Shiitake mushrooms are native to East Asia, specifically Japan, Korea, and China. The earliest written record of shiitake cultivation is seen in the Records of Longquan County, compiled by He Zhan in 1209 during the Song dynasty in China. The Japanese have been cultivating shiitake mushrooms for centuries, and the methods they use have been adopted by the rest of the world. The mushrooms grow naturally in the forests of Japan on the rotting wood of hardwood trees such as chestnut, maple, and sawtooth oak. They are also cultivated on Japanese tsuburajii, a species of Castanopsis tree native to Japan, from which the fungus gets its name. The word shiitake is a combination of the Japanese kanji for tsuburajii (椎) and take (mushroom) (茸).
In Japan, shiitake mushrooms are used in various dishes, such as miso soup and steamed and simmered dishes. They are also used as the basis for a kind of vegetarian dashi. The Japanese have also been responsible for developing new methods of cultivating shiitake mushrooms, such as the sawdust method, which was created to increase the number of annual harvests and make indoor storage more convenient and easier to control the growing conditions.
In China, shiitake mushrooms are also used in many dishes, including soups, braises, and stir-fried vegetable dishes such as Buddha's delight. Two prized varieties are produced in cooler temperatures. One high-grade variety is called dōnggū (冬菇) or "winter mushroom" in Chinese, or donko (冬子) in Japanese. The most highly prized variety is called huāgū (花菇) or "flower mushroom" in Chinese, due to the flower-like pattern of cracks in the cap.
Shiitake mushrooms are widely cultivated worldwide and contribute about 25% of the total yearly mushroom production. Commercially, they are typically grown in conditions similar to their natural environment on either artificial substrates or hardwood logs, such as oak.
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