Shiitake (Shitake, “tree fungus”) grow singly on stumps or tree trunks. They usually appear in spring and autumn after rain.

These mushrooms have a dark brown lamellar cap 5-20 cm in diameter. On the hat you can see a pattern of cracks and thickenings. The stem is fibrous, with a membrane that protects the cap plates in young mushrooms. When the spores mature, the membrane breaks and remains as a fringe on the cap. Mushrooms with dark brown, velvety, about 5 cm in diameter and 70-80% open caps are considered the best.

Shiitake is a Japanese word made up of the roots “chestnut” and “mushroom”. In Europe, shiitake mushrooms are known as “Chinese black mushrooms”.

Shiitake grows in the wild forests of China and Japan. It can be found not only on chestnuts, but also on maples, oaks, ebony. In ancient times, shiitake mushrooms were cultivated with great difficulty. Not knowing how they reproduced, they rubbed cuts on logs and trees with mushrooms. It was only in 1940 that an effective method of growing shiitake on wood was invented while maintaining its beneficial properties (calorificator). Today, shiitake mushrooms are grafted onto hardwood logs for medicinal purposes, and grown on sawdust and rice husks for the food industry. Therefore, shiitake mushrooms bought in the supermarket, although tasty, have almost no useful properties, since only the existence in symbiosis with a tree endows the mushrooms with substances useful to humans.

The first written mention of shiitake mushrooms dates back to 199 AD, and this remedy came to Chinese folk medicine much earlier. Chinese emperors took shiitake decoction to preserve youth and protect themselves from disease. Like all the best foods, shiitake mushrooms have been called “emperor mushrooms”. Other common names: Sleeping Buddha Mushroom and Ginseng Mushroom.

Dried shiitake calories
Dried shiitake calories составляет 331 ккал на 100 грамм продукта.

Useful properties of dried shiitake
Shiitake is the most cultivated mushroom in the world. Dried shiitake contains a large amount of zinc, phosphorus, potassium, iron, copper, calcium, polysaccharides (complex carbohydrates), amino acids and vitamins A, C, B1, B2, especially vitamin D. Dishes with shiitake should be included in your diet for vegetarians, who are deficient in vitamin D and protein. They have the ability to lower blood cholesterol levels. In addition, in China, these mushrooms are considered a strong aphrodisiac.

Harm of dried shiitake
Shiitake mushrooms are the only mushrooms that can cause an allergic reaction, so start your acquaintance with them with small portions (calorizator). Pregnant women should not get carried away with shiitake, as they contain a large amount of active substances, the effect of which on the fetus has not yet been studied.

The daily norm of shiitake should not exceed 16-20 g of dried mushrooms or 160-200 g of fresh ones.

Dried Shiitake in cooking
In addition to medicinal purposes, it is widely used in cooking. In oriental cuisine, there are many recipes for soups, sauces, seasonings and drinks from shiitake. In Japan, these mushrooms are used to make yogurt rich in potassium; in European restaurants, shiitake has become an indispensable product due to its caramel smell and versatility.

In Japanese cuisine, mushrooms are prized for infusing the flavors of other foods without drowning them out.

Shiitake are prepared separately on the grill, and baked in tempura. Mushrooms are used in various hot dishes, combined with meat, vegetables and noodles, perfectly complementing the flavor range of any product.