Medicinal properties and description of shiitake mushrooms (+23 photos)

Shiitake, or Lentinula edodes, is a type of mushroom classified as an arboreal mushroom, as it grows on deciduous trees. Shiitake mushrooms are a delicacy native to Asia, where they are considered the most delicious and beneficial. For centuries, Eastern healers have used this product to treat a wide variety of ailments, and today, researchers have found scientific evidence of shiitake's anti-cancer properties.

Characteristic features of the variety

Shiitake, or lentinula, is an edible mushroom in the family Nerugniaceae. Its name comes from two Japanese words: "shii" meaning dwarf chestnut and "take" meaning mushroom. This means it's a mushroom that grows on chestnut trees. But getting ahead of ourselves, this delicacy grows not only on chestnuts, and not only in the East. Europeans also know shiitake as Chinese or imperial mushrooms.

Appearance, morphology and photo

Shiitake mushrooms are difficult to identify based solely on description, so we suggest first taking a close look at a photo of this mushroom. Shiitake mushrooms are typically small, with caps ranging from 3 to 15 cm in diameter. Young specimens have dark brown, convex, hemispherical caps with a pattern of cracks and lumps. The older the lentinula, the flatter and lighter its cap.

Shiitake mushrooms belong to the gill group: white, smooth or serrated (in older specimens) gills are visible under the cap, turning brown when damaged. In young mushrooms, the gills are covered by a protective membrane. Lentinula mushrooms have reddish-brown stipes, reaching 4 cm in diameter.

Place of distribution

Shiitake mushrooms grow in woody areas, primarily on stumps and trunks. They can appear in groups or singly, from spring to fall, typically during the rainy season.

Lentinula is native to the wild forests of Japan and China. Here, it can be found on the trunks of chestnut, maple, oak, and ebony trees. In southeast Asia, it grows on the dead wood of deciduous trees, most commonly on Castanopsis acuminate. Lentinula are also found in the Primorsky Krai of Russia, where they can be found on the wood of Mongolian oaks and Amur linden.

Consumption

Shiitake is an edible mushroom. Its culinary qualities surpass those of champignons and oyster mushrooms, but it is inferior to boletus, although in the East it is considered one of the most delicious. This Japanese delicacy is prepared as a stand-alone dish and also used as a seasoning for sauces, soups, salads, and drinks.

In cooking, their caps are more prized, as the stems are tougher and more fibrous. Eastern chefs add chopped shiitake to meat and vegetable dishes to impart a piquant and distinctive flavor.

Lentinula mushrooms have a pungent flavor and a mushroomy aroma with subtle hints of radish. What makes this delicacy special is that they can even be eaten raw. Boiled, fried, or stewed shiitake mushrooms lose their distinctive flavor and are more reminiscent of the mushrooms familiar to Europeans.

The chemical composition of this product is identical to that of fresh mushrooms. Therefore, dried and powdered lentinules are often used in Japan.

Rules and meeting places

In the wild, shiitake mushrooms can be harvested throughout three seasons, from spring to late fall. The heaviest harvests occur after warm rains. Look for single mushrooms or large myceliums on old stumps or dead wood. Lentinula mushrooms can also grow on sawdust.

It is best to harvest before the edges of the caps have completely opened. At this stage of development, lentinules are the most delicious and tender. They are not cut or pulled from the substrate, but twisted. To do this, simply rotate the mushroom around its axis. About two weeks after harvest, a second wave of fruiting begins in the same place.

Distinction from false, inedible mushrooms

When it comes to wild mushrooms, the biggest danger is making a mistake and ending up with a poisonous lookalike instead of an edible delicacy. But there's no need to worry about this when the target of your "silent hunt" is shiitake. It belongs to a monotypic species, meaning it has no false, inedible, or poisonous "relatives."

Inexperienced mushroom pickers may confuse shiitake with certain types of button mushrooms, such as meadow champignons. However, unlike the imperial mushroom, meadow champignons grow not on wood, but in pastures, forest edges, meadows, and other open areas. However, since both are edible, this similarity poses no health risk to the picker.

Mushroom pickers are more concerned about forest bounty mushrooms, which, although they closely resemble shiitake mushrooms, have dark spots on their undersides. Many consider them poisonous lookalikes of the edible lentinula, but in reality, they are just ordinary imperial mushrooms, albeit older. While not poisonous, such a product also offers no benefit, as its nutritional and medicinal properties are far inferior to those of the latter.

The health benefits of shiitake and its consumption restrictions

Shiitake mushrooms are a veritable treasure trove of vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial components that promote health. Therefore, this imperial delicacy is widely used not only in cooking but also in alternative medicine.

Nutritional value

Lentinula is characterized by high nutritional value, and all of its numerous beneficial properties are determined exclusively by its rich chemical composition.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AV2qoA1iu8k

Shiitake is a great hunger-satisfying food and provides the body with essential energy. 100 grams of fresh shiitake contains approximately 30 kcal, the same portion of cooked shiitake contains approximately 40 kcal, and the same portion of dried shiitake contains 300 kcal. It's an excellent source of protein (almost 10 g per 100 g of dry product), essential amino acids, and many vitamins, micro- and macronutrients.

In addition, this delicacy is an excellent source of fiber, which is known to help lower cholesterol and improve bowel function.

By consuming this imperial delicacy, you can be sure that your body will receive many beneficial substances, such as:

• B vitamins;
• vitamin D;
• zinc;
• potassium;
• calcium;
• iron;
• magnesium;
• manganese;
• phosphorus;
• sodium;
• chitin and others.

All of them are essential for the proper functioning of the human body.

Medicinal properties of shiitake

The medicinal properties of shiitake mushrooms were known as far back as ancient China. In ancient times, emperors consumed a mushroom decoction, believing it helped preserve youth and prevent illness. Lentinula has also been prized in Japan since ancient times, where it was called the elixir of life and revered alongside ginseng. Today, shiitake extract is used as an active ingredient in anti-aging cosmetics. Incidentally, the secret to the beautiful skin of Japanese geishas is said to lie in lentinula.

When consumed regularly, shiitake mushrooms provide a number of benefits to the body:

• improve overall well-being;
• tone the nervous system;
• treat colds;
• purify the blood;
• lower cholesterol levels;
• normalize blood sugar levels;
• have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the digestive tract;
• increase resistance to stress;
• remove toxins from the body;
• relieve fever;
• increase male potency.

Lentinula-based dishes and medicines are useful in the presence of:

• high cholesterol;
• diseases caused by reduced immunity;
• diabetes mellitus;
• viral diseases (herpes, influenza, smallpox, polio, hepatitis, HIV);
• diseases of bacterial origin (bronchitis, tuberculosis, coccal flora);
• cardiac disorders (atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, hypertension, tendency to thrombosis);
• candidiasis;
• ophthalmological disorders;
• some types of cancer;
• peptic ulcer of the gastrointestinal tract;
• gout;
• constipation;
• liver diseases;
• diseases of the upper respiratory tract;
• obesity.

Many of the medicinal properties of this delicacy have been confirmed in the laboratory, including its anti-tumor properties. It turns out that the substance lentinan contained in the product promotes the destruction of cancer cell membranes.

To prevent malignant tumors, take an alcohol infusion of shiitake mushrooms. The medicine is prepared from 60 g of mushroom powder and 800 ml of vodka. The mixture is infused in a cool place for 30 days. Take 1 teaspoon before each meal for a month, then take a break.

For most other ailments, dried mushroom powder is recommended. The daily dose of this natural remedy is 6-16 g. The powder can be consumed raw, added to soups, or prepared as a decoction. Drinking mushroom powder is also beneficial for strengthening the immune system and increasing energy: 1 teaspoon three times daily before meals for a month.

For cosmetic purposes, a mushroom infusion is used. Two parts water and one part crushed mushrooms are steeped in a dark place for one week to 10 days. This infusion is useful for daily use on problematic and aging skin.

Despite its extensive list of benefits, shiitake mushrooms do have some contraindications. This imperial delicacy should not be consumed by children under 7, asthmatics, people prone to allergies, or pregnant or breastfeeding women.

Growing shiitake mushrooms at home

In nature, lentinules grow on stumps and logs, but humans have learned to cultivate them on sawdust. At home, this delicacy is sprouted on substrate blocks inoculated with mycelium. Mushrooms grown this way are distinguished by their excellent taste, although their medicinal properties are inferior to their natural counterparts.

Lentinula is typically grown on oak, maple, or beech sawdust. Aspen, alder, birch, poplar, and willow are sometimes used. Coniferous substrate is absolutely unsuitable, as its resinous content inhibits mycelial growth.

Grains and bran from cereals (barley, wheat, millet, rice), legume flour, beer waste, and other nitrogen- and carbohydrate-rich components can be used as fertilizers to accelerate growth. To create an optimal soil acidity level, chalk or gypsum can be added to the substrate.

First, the substrate is packed into bags made of a breathable material (such as agrofibre). It is kept at a temperature of 60 degrees Celsius for 24 hours, then at 50 degrees Celsius for another 3 days.

After this, mycelium is added to the substrate (at a rate of 20 g of mycelium per 2 kg of substrate), transferred to plastic bags, and kept in a greenhouse for two weeks. To speed up seed germination, the soil should be periodically sprayed with water, thus simulating rain. Soon, the first mushrooms will appear in the bag.

Recipes and cooking features

While Eastern chefs primarily prepare their dishes with fresh mushrooms, in Europe, dried lentinules are more commonly used. Japanese and Chinese gourmets claim that dried shiitake mushrooms lose their unique flavor and aroma, so they often prefer uncooked versions.

Europeans, on the other hand, prefer the option that lacks a distinctive smell and taste. However, everyone has the right to choose which mushrooms to eat—fresh or cooked.

Fried shiitake mushrooms with pepper

This dish is very easy to prepare. Ingredients needed:

• 250 g fresh mushrooms;
• 2 bell peppers;
• 2 cloves of garlic;
• 3 tbsp. vegetable oil;
• 1 bunch of dill.

Remove the seeds from the pepper, rinse, and cut into strips. Chop the garlic and dill. Peel the mushrooms and slice the caps. Place the peppers and mushrooms in a saucepan with heated oil. Stir constantly until tender. Add the garlic, dill, and spices, then cook for another minute.

Shiitake soup

Ingredients:

• 150 g fresh shiitake;
• 1 onion;
• 50 g butter;
• 45 ml olive oil;
• 15 g flour;
• 200 ml milk;
• 300 ml of water;
• salt, pepper;
• green;
• lemon juice.

This soup can be made with either fresh or dried mushrooms. If you choose the latter, soak the mushrooms in cold water for 5 minutes before cooking. Boil the mushrooms for 40 minutes and, once cooled, chop finely. Finely dice the onion and fry in vegetable oil. Mix with the mushrooms and fry for another 5 minutes.

Add butter, spices, and flour, stirring until smooth. Pour in water and simmer for about 10 minutes, then slowly add milk and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat for 3 minutes. Let the dish cool slightly, then blend. Serve with herbs and a little lemon juice on top.

Answers to frequently asked questions

Hippocrates once said: “Make your food your medicine and your medicine your food.” The Japanese delicacy shiitake mushrooms fit this rule perfectly. After all, they're not just a tasty food, but a powerful remedy that can improve your well-being and health.