Products
The fresh or dried shiitake is available in grocery stores and specialty stores. It is one of the most widely consumed edible mushrooms in the world after the cultivated mushroom.
Mushroom
The shiitake mushroom is native to East Asia and has been cultivated for centuries – including in many countries today. In nature, it grows on the trunks of rotting trees. It is also cultivated on sawdust.
Ingredients
- Water
- Proteins
- Carbohydrates – high proportion
- Lipids
- Dietary fiber
- Vitamins
- Minerals and trace elements
- Polysaccharides: lentinan
- Amino acids: eritadenine, ergothioneine, glutamate.
The fresh mushroom has only a low caloric value of 34 kcal per 100 g. Dried mushrooms have a higher value of 247 kcal per 100 g due to the deeper water content.
Effects
Studies have demonstrated antioxidant, antimicrobial, antitumor, anticariogenic, lipid-lowering, antihypertensive, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory properties, among others. Shiitake has been used in folk medicine as a medicinal mushroom. It is often touted as an actual miracle cure – however, from a scientific point of view, this should be discounted.
Fields of application
- As food, in Japanese, Chinese / East Asian cuisine.
- For seasoning (umami flavor, due to the contained glutamate).
- In traditional East Asian medicine.
Dosage
It is recommended to cook the mushroom sufficiently (see below). Fresh shiitake should not be washed. Instead, it should only be wiped with a cloth. Shiitake is suitable for frying, grilling and steaming.
Contraindications
The mushroom should not be taken in case of hypersensitivity and if shiitake dermatitis has already occurred.
Adverse effects
Rarely, the so-called shiitake dermatitis occurs, a stripe-like, whiplash-like, papulopustular and itchy skin rash observed about one to two days after ingestion of the mushrooms. This flagellant dermatitis is probably due to the polysaccharide lentinan. The mucosa is not involved. For prevention, it is recommended to cook the mushroom sufficiently. However, it has been shown that the rash can still develop. Other possible adverse effects include allergic reactions, asthma, and pneumonitis (inhalation of the spores). However, these occur mainly in commercial cultivation. The mushrooms may contain foreign bodies such as pebbles.
