Shiitake

What Shiitake is

Shiitake fruits as a brown, umbrella-capped mushroom on hardwood. The name comes from the shii tree it was traditionally grown on. It is the most cultivated specialty mushroom in the world, and the most familiar to anyone who cooks.

Dried Shiitake is a different ingredient from fresh. Drying concentrates its savory compounds sharply, which is why dried caps are a pantry staple in their own right and why the powder tastes as strong as it does.

Where the umami comes from

The deep savory character is guanylate, a compound that intensifies as the mushroom dries. It stacks with the glutamate already present, and the two together are why a spoonful of Shiitake powder gives a broth more depth than a much larger quantity of fresh mushroom would.

This is the property our UMAMI seasoning line is built around, and it is the reason Shiitake shows up in savory cooking far more often than in a morning coffee.

The compounds

Lentinan is the beta-glucan Shiitake is best known for, and it sits in the cell walls of the fruiting body. The species also carries eritadenine, which is fairly specific to it, along with other polysaccharides and ergosterol, the compound a mushroom converts toward vitamin D under light.

How to get it

We do not sell a single-species Shiitake powder. It is one of the seven mushrooms in our signature daily blend, where it sits alongside Cordyceps, Chaga, Lion's Mane, Maitake, Turkey Tail, and Reishi in one scoop.

Compounds it is known for

• Lentinan
• Beta-glucans
• Eritadenine
• Ergosterol
• Polysaccharides

What people take it for

• Supports the immune system
• Supports cardiovascular health
• Rich in beta-glucans and antioxidants

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.