Shiitake, Lentinus edodes, is Adam’s Mushrooms most popular product. Grown inside on sawdust logs it is available all year round. With its brown cap and white stem, the shiitake take on the archetypical mushroom form.
It has a strong, earthy flavor and semi-strong structure and therefore lends itself well to dishes such as soups, casseroles and stir fries. Although any fan of the shiitake mushroom will tell you that it goes well with everything 😉 Check for freshness by looking at the gills and stem, the whiter the fresher. Aging shiitake develop red and purple hues on stems, and the gills go from white to cream to brownish, this is perfectly normal and okay. Although it doesn’t get any prettier with age, a perk to the older mushrooms is that the flavor seems to get stronger with age, we have had two weeks old shiitakes and they tasted delicious!
Some of our favorite ways to enjoy the shiitake mushroom; in stir fries, on scrambled eggs with bacon, as a pizza topping, on top of a burger nested into the cheese, in soups, wrapped in foil with veggies and done up on the grill or skewered and grilled!!!
What is your favorite way of enjoying shiitakes?
For information on the health benefits of the shiitake mushroom go to www.mushroomnutrition.com/lentinus-edodes