Shiitake mushroom
From Freepedia
The shiitake mushroom (Japanese: 椎茸; Chinese: 香菇; pinyin: xiānggū, literally "fragrant mushroom" or "delicious mushroom") (Lentinus edodes or Lentinula edodes), sometimes called Chinese black mushroom or black forest mushroom, is an edible mushroom typically cultivated on the shii tree. Two Chinese variant names for high grades of shiitake are dōnggū ("winter mushroom") and huāgū ("flower mushroom," which has a flower-like cracking pattern on the mushroom's upper surface); both are produced at colder temperatures.
Shiitake have many uses in Chinese and Japanese cuisines. They are served in miso soup, used as the basis for a kind of vegetarian dashi, and also as an ingredient in many steamed and simmered dishes.
Shiitake are often dried and sold as preserved food in packages. These must be rehydrated by soaking in water before using. Many Japanese people prefer dried shiitake to fresh, considering that the sun-drying process draws out the superior umami flavour from the dried mushrooms by breaking down proteins into amino acids. The stems of shiitake are rarely used in Japanese cuisine. The stems are also rarely used in other cuisines, primarily because the stems are harder and take longer to cook than the soft fleshy caps.
Today, shiitake mushrooms have become popular in many other countries as well. Russia produces and also consumes large amounts of them, mostly sold pickled; and the shiitake is slowly making its way into western cuisine as well. There is a global industry in shiitake production, with local farms in most western countries in addition to large scale importation from China, Japan and elsewhere.
References
Tsuji, Shizuo. (1980). Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art. New York: Kodansha International/USA.
