Shiitake mushrooms (椎茸) are an edible mushroom typically cultivated on the shii tree (Pasania cuspidata--a relative of the oak). Sometimes called black forest mushrooms.
Shiitake have many uses in Chinese and Japanese cuisine. They are served in miso soup, used as the basis for a kind of vegetariandashi, 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 prefer dried shiitake to fresh, considering that the sun-drying process draws out the superior 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 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. Kodansha International/USA, New York.
The shiitakemushroom is a wood-decay fungus and must be grown on logs or sawdust.
Shiitakemushrooms can also be produced in eastern North Carolina, but it is important to have an adequate means of keeping the moisture level of the logs high.
Mushrooms should be picked while there is still a small curl at the edge of the cap, usually five to seven days after the mushroom first appears.
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