Shiitake are one of the East's most exotic and delicious foods, with a subtle woody taste that adds gourmet flair to almost any dish.

Shiitake are Japanese forest mushrooms, (shii - oak tree, take - mushroom) that have a long history of use.

Shiitake production
Before they were cultivated, wild shiitake were used as a folk medicine by Oriental herbalists who developed shiitake teas and infusions for treating fevers, tumours, flu, heart disease and high blood pressure.
Now, traditional shiitake are grown on logs in the humid forests of southern Japan, then hand-harvested and sun dried at their peak of vitality.

For more information on Shiitake production: read more

Shiitake and health
As well as their distinctive flavour, shiitake offer considerable nutritional benefits. They are a high fibre, low fat food, and contain all eight essential amino acids.

Worldwide attention is now being given to shiitake's medicinal properties. Scientists have identified substances from shiitake that may play a role in the cure and prevention of heart disease, cancer and AIDS (1).

Cooking with Shiitake
To prepare Clearspring Shiitake:
- soak for 15 minutes in warm water
- remove any hard stems
- slice if desired
- cook with grains, stir-fries, vegetables and soups.

For a flavourful broth, boil a few shiitake and their soaking water with some kombu sea vegetable for 15 minutes, then season with shoyu or tamari and mirin to taste.

Available in a 50g box

(1) Chang R., Functional properties of edible mushrooms, Nutr Rev 54 (11 Pt 2): 591-3 (1996)