For thousands of years shiitake [1] have played an important role in Asian cuisine, being known both for their deep umami taste and wide ranging culinary uses. Their value does not stop there though; known as ‘miracle mushrooms', shiitake are nutritious and filled with health giving properties.
Origins and cultivation
Shiitake, which originate from China, have been cultivated for over a 1000 years and eaten in Asia since prehistoric times. In Japan they still use traditional cultivation methods in which they are grown on certain logs in the humid forests of southern Japan, then hand-harvested and dried. This is a natural method which does not use pesticides.
In newer cultivation methods, shiitake are grown inside in controlled environments on chemically fertilised sawdust. Pesticides are used in the growing rooms, so the shiitake are by no means organic and some claim that they are inferior in taste and health benefits. At Clearspring the shiitake we use are cultivated in the traditional way. Find out more here. [2]
Nutritional values
Shiitake are packed with essential vitamins and minerals many of which are not present in vegetables.
They are:
• A good source of B vitamins which beneficial to the immune system and brain functions, including vitamin B12 which is only present in fungi and bacteria.
• Rich in: dietary fibre, zinc, phosphorus and magnesium.
They also contain iron, vitamin C and calcium and all eight amino acids at a ratio which is close to the ideal balance of proteins necessary to the human diet. (1)
Medicinal uses
Dried shiitake mushrooms have been a part of traditional Chinese medicine for more than six thousand years being attributed with energising powers. In Asian folk medicine they have been used to treat measles, stomach aches, bronchitis, headaches, faintness and the common cold. In ancient Japan members of the court even regarded them as an aphrodisiac, closely guarding their cultivation sites.
More recently shiitake have been the focus of various scientific studies that have identified substances in them that may play a role in curing and preventing heart disease, cancer and AIDS (2).
These are:
• Eritadenine which significantly lowers the levels of bad cholesterol in blood and thus helps in the fight against heart disease.
• Lentinan which is said to boost the immune system, leading to the possible regression of cancerous tumours, and viruses (including HIV).
• Cortinelin which has natural antibiotic qualities that fight fungal infections.
(1) John and Jan Belleme, Culinary Treasures of Japan, New York, 1992
(2) Chang R., Functional properties of edible mushrooms, Nutr Rev 54 (11 Pt 2): 591-3 (1996)
For more information on Shiitake and health see:
Shiitake and cancer prevention [4]