Shiitake Mushrooms – 1kg

*Mushroom varieties by the kg may not be available on certain delivery days, as they are freshly harvested before delivery we will be in contact with crop availability for the week once the order is placed*

Shiitake mushrooms are small to medium in size with caps averaging 10-20 centimetres in diameter and are attached to thin stems. The caps range in color from light to dark brown and have a wide, umbrella shape with a characteristic curled rim. Inside, the cream-colored flesh is firm, chewy, and spongy. Underneath the cap, the white gills are tightly arranged, are not attached to the stem, and depending on the maturity, there may also be a thin veil covering the gills. The ivory to light brown stem is smooth, tough, and fibrous. When cooked, Shiitake mushrooms release a garlic-pine aroma and have a savory, earthy, and smoky, umami flavor.

Shiitake mushrooms are best suited for cooked applications such as frying, sautéing, boiling, steaming, and grilling. Although Shiitake mushrooms are a cultivated variety, their umami, earthy flavor and texture lend itself to be a substitute in recipes calling for wild mushrooms. They can be sliced and used in stir-fries, miso soup, vegetarian dashi, stuffed and steamed, cooked in omelettes, mixed into pasta, or fried. They can also be dried and re hydrated for extended use or dried and ground into a powder as a flavouring agent for soups, stocks, and sauces. Shiitake mushrooms pair well with marjoram, thyme, cilantro, spinach, mustard greens, eggplant, broccoli, peas, ramps, carrots, bell pepper, baby corn, water chestnuts, potatoes, onion, green onion, garlic, ginger, poultry, pork, lamb, shrimp, rice, barley, pasta, soy sauce, and dry red wine. They will keep 1-2 weeks when stored in a paper bag in the refrigerator.

They are woody in flavor and meaty in texture, an excellent addition to any Asian dish. Shiitakes provide high levels of protein, potassium, niacin, B vitamins, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus. Shiitakes also have antiviral and immunity boosting properties.

In China they are used nutritionally to fight viruses, lower cholesterol and regulate blood pressure. Researchers S. Suzuki and Oshima found that a raw shiitake eaten daily for one week lowered serum cholesterol by 12%. The foundation of this mushroom’s impressive health benefits is due to polysaccharides that build up the immune system.