Shiitake

Shiitake (Lentinula edodes) is an edible mushroom native to East Asia, which is cultivated and consumed in many Asian countries. It is also considered a medicinal mushroom in some forms of traditional medicine.

Taxonomy and naming

The species Lentinula edodes belongs to the genus Lentinula in the family Marasmiaceae. It was first described scientifically by Miles Joseph Berkeley in 1877 as Agaricus edodes. In 1976, it was transferred to the new genus Lentinula by David Pegler. The mushroom's Japanese name shiitake (シイタケ) is composed of shii (Castanopsis), for the tree Castanopsis cuspidata that provides the dead logs on which it is typically cultivated, and take (茸), meaning "mushroom".

Description

Shiitake grow in groups on the decaying wood of deciduous trees, particularly shii, chestnut, oak, maple, beech, sweetgum, poplar, hornbeam, ironwood, and linden. Its natural distribution includes warm and moist climates in southeast Asia.

Cultivation

The cultivation of shiitake mushrooms dates back to AD 1100 in China, during the Song Dynasty. The Japanese have been cultivating the shiitake for over 1,000 years. Today, shiitake mushrooms are the second most cultivated mushrooms in the world.

Culinary uses

Shiitake are often dried and sold as preserved food in packages. These must be rehydrated by soaking in water before using. Many people prefer dried shiitake to fresh, considering that the sun-drying process draws out the umami flavour from the dried mushrooms by breaking down proteins into amino acids and transforms ergosterol to vitamin D.

Medicinal uses

Shiitake mushrooms have been researched for their medicinal benefits, most notably their anti-tumor effects in laboratory mice. These studies have also identified the polysaccharide lentinan, a (1-3) beta-D-glucan, as the active compound responsible for the anti-tumor effects.

See also

• Edible mushroom
• Medicinal mushrooms
• Mushroom cultivation

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