Mushroom Series: Shiitake Mushrooms

Shiitake mushrooms (Lentinula edodes) are probably one of the most easily recognized mushrooms at the grocery store, but don’t let their popularity fool you. These little brown beauties have been used in East Asia for well over a thousand years for both their flavor and their medicinal properties. The name “shiitake” comes from the Japanese words shii (a type of oak tree that they traditionally grew on) and take, meaning mushroom. So, its name literally means “the mushroom that grows on the shii tree.”

Shiitakes are one of my favorite culinary mushrooms because of their so yummy and rich, savory, umami flavor. They have a slightly chewy, meaty texture that makes them perfect for soups, stir-fries, ramen, risotto, pasta dishes, and just about anything else that could use a little earthy goodness. They also dry really well, and soaking dried shiitakes before cooking gives you both delicious mushrooms and an incredibly flavorful broth that is far too good to pour down the drain. I love using shitake powder in my vegan savory dishes because it gives them that meaty flavor without the meat.

But, shiitakes aren’t just for making dinner taste amazing. They also carry medicinal compounds like beta-glucans that help support and regulate our immune system (seriously, if you haven’t already, go read my Chaga mushroom blog where I nerd out about beta-glucans). Shiitakes have been seen to help support healthy cholesterol levels, healthy blood pressure, and overall cardiovascular health. They’re also packed with antioxidants, B vitamins, copper, selenium, and dietary fiber. They may even have antimicrobial and antiviral properties according to some research. They’re not considered an adaptogenic mushroom but are in both the culinary and functional categories.

Shiitakes grow on dead or dying hardwood trees, especially oak, chestnut, beech, maple, and other broadleaf trees. They’re native to East Asia, but are now cultivated all over the world, usually on hardwood logs or supplemented sawdust blocks. In the wild, they generally fruit from spring through fall depending on the climate. Unfortunately, unlike maitakes or lion’s mane, shiitakes do have a few look-alikes, including some that can make you very sick. So I’ll keep repeating myself throughout this series: please find a local, professional, and experienced mushroom forager to learn from before heading out to harvest wild mushrooms. Grocery stores and local mushroom farms are wonderful places to start if you’re just looking to enjoy eating them.

As for witchcraft, shiitakes can be used for spells about health, vitality, longevity, and prosperity. As with most mushrooms, shiitakes can be used in transformational, liminal, transmutational, and renewal rituals because of having an existence between life and death (since they grow from dead or decaying wood).

Have you ever cooked with shiitakes or found them growing on a fallen log?

Tune back in next week when we discuss Oyster mushrooms.