Shiitake Mushrooms In The Spotlight: What They Are, Why You’ll Love Them, And Where To Find Them In New Jersey This Summer!
Shiitake mushrooms From Two River Mushroom Co
Chances are that you’ve seen a shiitake mushroom (They’re tan, brown, got caps about two to four inches wide, they go great fresh or dried… you know them.) But did you know that shiitake mushrooms have a lot to offer when it comes to your health? And did you know that your family or restaurant table can be hosting these nutrient-rich gourmet delights this weekend? Read on to learn how.
What Are Shiitake Mushrooms?
They’re fungi with wide caps, typically grown in Japan, and you can find them in everything from your daily meals to supplements. You can eat them fresh or dried and while we typically associate them with Japan, the U.S., Canada, and even China have been growing them too.
Why You’ll Love Two River’s Shiitake Mushrooms
Here at 2 River Mushroom Co., we love shiitake for the flavor and the organic, fresh, and laundry list of vitamins and other healthy compounds you can find in just a handful of them.
Two dried shiitake mushrooms can pack:
5% of your daily Riboflavin,
About 5% of your daily Niacin,
Nearly 20% of your daily copper,
16% of your B5,
About 3% of your B6,
4% of your Zinc,
5% of your daily selenium, 3% of your daily Vitamin D (They’re the only true plant that boasts the ability to provide vitamin D… not bragging if it’s true!),
Things like lipids and polysaccharides that may help you lower your cholesterol,
And some of the same amino acids you’d find in your daily meat intake (if you’re a meat eater of course!)
So that’s the laundry list we love so much but what we really love is what that laundry list actually means.
You know Vitamin D helps with bone strength but it’s also pretty awesome to know what some of these lesser-known compounds found in shiitake can do for you.
Selenium helps fight acne, for example.
Other compounds, like B5 help with things like digestion, adrenal health, and promoting healthy red blood cells that get oxygen to flow throughout the body. And Copper helps the body nurture its nerve cells and sustain our immune system.
If you’re more into alternative medicine, it’s nice to know that in Chinese medicine longevity was a key reason for using shiitake, as was circulation.
Needless to say: Shiitake has a lot to offer with regard to your health. But what good is that if you can enjoy eating it...Well, luckily, shiitake are delicious!
Preparation Suggestions
If you read Marilyn’s piece on the Umami Taste Development Center (Find it here) you know that umami is that savory, somewhat meaty and unique flavor that some foods have depending upon how they’re prepared. Dried shiitake have that very same flavor. Fresh shiitake have a rich, nearly buttery flavor that’s simply divine.
You can use shiitake in soups (freeze the stems for broth if you’d like to make fresh vegetable stock), pasta, stir-fries, stews, and snacking-style appetizers.
Shiitake have a savory, rich, sometimes smokey flavor that is uniquely their own.
While the flavor of dried shiitake varies from its fresh counterpart, when you cook shiitake, you can do so like most other mushrooms. So, feel free to get creative and roast them, sauté them, or add them to your next homemade soup.
Where To Find Them
Are you ready to bring some delicious and healthy shiitake mushrooms home or to your local restaurant?
You can reach out on here on our website or find us at local farmer’s markets this summer.
Follow us on Instagram here for updates too!
We’ll see you this summer!
(We’ll bring the Certified Organic gourmet mushrooms!)
Writer’s Note: This post contains information from the following sources. So, if you’re looking for more about the benefits and research related to shiitake mushrooms and your health, you may find it on these sites.
Healthline, Medical information and health advice you can trust