Alexander Gushchin
I can’t vouch for the taste, but it will be hot :)
Content
In Japan, China and Korea, dishes without shiitake can be counted on one hand. Easterners simply adore this mushroom, not only for its taste, but also for its healing properties. There it is called the elixir of youth, beauty, health and longevity. Why is this mushroom so useful?
What is shiitake
It is known that shiitake is an edible agaric mushroom that grows on a tree. The cap reaches a diameter of up to 30 centimeters, and its color is light or dark brown. There is a cream-colored fringe along the edge, and the top of the mushroom is covered with scales. If you look under the cap, you can see white fibers in which a lot of useful elements have accumulated. The cylindrical leg is white, turning brown when broken, with a fibrous surface.
The name alone already speaks about the method of growth. Shii means broad-leaved tree in Japanese, and take means mushroom. Other names for this plant are also known: black forest mushroom, Chinese or Japanese mushrooms, and its Latin name is edible lentinula. Under natural conditions, shiitake grows in the east: Japan, Korea, China and some areas of Southeast Asia.
Such mushrooms are also cultivated in Russia: in the Far East and in the Primorsky Territory. There are only two types of artificial production:
- outdoors - an extensive method of growing;
- in a greenhouse - an intensive method.
Growing shiitake mushrooms using the extensive method takes from 6 to 12 months. To begin with, small depressions are made on pieces of wood into which shiitake mycelium or an entire culture of it is placed. Then the logs are kept in the shade for some time, at a certain temperature and humidity. Fruiting of mushrooms on logs lasts from 3 to 5 years, and the yield from 1 cubic meter. m of wood is about 250 kg.
The intensive method involves cultivating shiitake on a mixture of sawdust with wheat or rice bran, in special propylene containers. First, the substrate is sterilized, pasteurized in hot water, dried, and only after that the mycelium is planted in the soil. On one block, mushrooms will grow from 30 to 60 days, and the yield for the entire fruiting period will be 15-20%.
Shiitake - benefits and harm
Shiitake dishes are not only low-calorie (nutritional value of 1 kg - 300-500 kcal), but also healthy. For example, there is as much calcium as in fish meat. In addition, they contain a lot of phosphorus, iodine, potassium, zinc, complex carbohydrates and B vitamins. The accumulation of substances is concentrated on the cap, because only there spores form. The stalk has 2 times less micro- and macroelements. Therefore, nutritionists advise cutting off the lower part and cooking as many caps as possible.
It is worth knowing that the benefits and harms of shiitake are a very controversial topic. As it turns out, even they are imperfect. Hardly soluble mushroom protein is practically not absorbed by our body. Plus, chitin fiber contributes to poor digestion. It interferes with the production of gastric juice and passes through the body in transit. For these reasons, doctors do not recommend giving shiitake to children under 3 years of age, and adults can consume no more than 300 g of mushrooms per day.
Medicinal properties
The Japanese call shiitake the elixir of longevity; dishes made from it were often served at the imperial table. And in Russia, the benefits of an overseas guest were recognized several decades ago. There is even a whole science - fungotherapy, which studies the medicinal qualities of mushrooms. It has been proven that the medicinal properties of shiitake lie in its rich vitamin composition:
- Polysaccharides, leucine, lysine normalize the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and promote weight loss.
- Ergosterol was found in dried mushrooms, which, when absorbed, turns into vitamin D.
- Amino acids lower sugar levels, bad cholesterol, and improve blood circulation. This makes the mushroom an indispensable product for diabetes and hypertension.
- According to Chinese research, the presence of this mushroom in the diet will increase resistance to stress and help cope with exhaustion and weakness.
- Lingans with lingins - virus-like particles that make up shiitake, help the body resist herpes and hepatitis viruses.
- With complex therapy, shiitake is used to treat the upper respiratory tract, influenza, smallpox, polio and even HIV.
- Eating 16 grams of dry mushrooms per day will increase immunity and prevent the development of heart diseases: atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease.
- Chitin and cellulose help cleanse the blood of chemical, toxic, and radioactive substances.
There is unconfirmed evidence that the mushroom is good for treating stomach ulcers, gout, hemorrhoids, liver pathologies, prostatitis, and impotence. Some companies specializing in medicinal cosmetics for women produce anti-aging products based on Japanese mushrooms: creams, cosmetic masks, lotions. Lentinan, added to the composition of this cosmetics, stops premature aging of the skin.
Tincture
If you want to have beautiful velvety skin, like in the photo of Japanese geishas, you don’t have to buy expensive creams. Shiitake tincture prepared at home will cope with the tasks. Skin lotion is made according to a simple recipe:
- Dried mushrooms are mixed with alcohol in a ratio of 2 to 1.
- Close the container with a lid and then leave for 7-10 days.
- The prepared solution is applied to a cotton pad and wiped over the face, except for the eye area and nasolabial folds.
- The procedure is repeated regularly: morning and evening.
For oncology
Extracts and extracts from shiitake began to be used in the prevention and rehabilitation of cancer patients. Science has found that these medicinal mushrooms have strong antitumor properties, but this does not mean that you should stop the main treatment and refuse operations. Shiitake mushroom in oncology only reduces the spread of cancer cells, slightly reduces the size of the tumor, enhances the effect of chemotherapy procedures, restores the blood formula, and relieves pain.
Shiitake mushrooms - how to cook
Chinese mushrooms are used not only by doctors; they are often included in dishes. Cooking shiitake is not a complicated process at all. They taste like a cross between a porcini mushroom and champignons. When fresh, they can be used in salad recipes or light appetizers. This mushroom will emphasize, embellish and enrich the taste of any savory sauce. In Chinese, Japanese and Korean cuisine, rich miso soups are prepared from shiitake.
Content
Pickled shiitakes for the winter are an excellent dish that turns out quickly and tasty. Typically, recipes use shiitake and various spices: coriander, basil, parsley, bay leaf and cloves. The dish can be stored in the refrigerator for a long time; before serving, the shiitake is washed from the marinade.
Preparing to marinate shiitake mushrooms
To prepare a delicious shiitake snack, you need to ensure the quality of the product. They should not be lethargic, wormy or showing signs of mold. Only the highest quality and freshest are suitable for cooking.
Spicy shiitake appetizer
A spicy, crispy shiitake snack is served at feasts, as an addition to side dishes or as an independent dish. If you sprinkle it with herbs and add chopped vegetables, you can serve it with alcoholic beverages.
Attention! Before you start preparing pickled shiitakes, you need to sterilize the container for storing them.
This can be done in the oven or microwave, or steamed if you place them on the neck in a pressure cooker. Lids are sterilized separately. They need to be boiled for 15 minutes. with water in a small saucepan.
Before cooking, wash and peel the mushrooms. If necessary, remove the stem or trim it a little. Select the ingredients necessary for marinating:
- vinegar;
- carnation;
- black peppercorns;
- Bay leaf.
All washed ingredients should be dried on a towel to avoid excess moisture.
How to pickle shiitake mushrooms
The simplest recipe takes about 45 minutes to prepare. Shiitake should only be marinated in sterilized containers and warm marinating should be used.
To do this you will need to prepare the mushrooms. Wash, peel, remove the stem. Next, they should be boiled, drained and boiled in new water with the addition of the necessary ingredients, including salt, sugar, vinegar and other seasonings and spices.
Appetizer of shiitake mushrooms in marinade
The mushrooms are transferred to jars and filled with marinade. You can also sterilize finished jars. To do this, cover them with lids, place them in a large saucepan, fill them with water, slightly retreating from the neck. Boil for about 25 minutes. for 1 liter, but you don’t have to do this if you thoroughly boil all the ingredients. Roll up the lids and let it brew. Then they put it in the refrigerator and store it there.
Pickled Shiitake Recipes
Preparing pickled shiitakes involves cutting them, boiling them and rolling them into a jar. Various recipes for making marinated shiitake include ingredients such as honey, soy sauce, and ginger.
Classic marinated shiitake recipe
To create a standard marinade and prepare an appetizer you will need:
- mushrooms – 200-300 g;
- ginger 15 g (raw);
- a glass of clean water;
- vinegar 6% - a third of a glass;
- soy sauce - a third of a glass;
- half a teaspoon of cloves;
- natural honey - a third of a glass;
- half a teaspoon of black peppercorns;
- salt - half a tablespoon.
Shiitake in marinade
Step-by-step preparation:
- The main product and ginger need to be washed and peeled. The stem is separated from the main ingredient and the cap is cut into several pieces to better marinate. You can cook the whole thing if the cap is small, or you will have to wait longer for salting.
- Cut the ginger into small strips, or grate it on a coarse grater.
- Water is poured into the pan, the base of the dish is added there and cooked with the addition of a small amount of salt. After the water boils, reduce the heat and leave to simmer for 7 minutes. The first water must be drained through a sieve.
- Pour clean water into the pan, add vinegar, ginger and other products. Boil the marinade until it boils, add the main product. Cooking time is approximately 35 minutes. All products must be ready. After removing from the stove, allow the marinade to cool.
- Meanwhile, the pickled shiitakes are placed in sterilized jars so that there are as few voids as possible. Remove aromatic spices (cloves and pepper) from the marinade and pour them into the jars. You can sterilize the finished product in a pressure cooker. After this, you need to tighten the lids, cool the workpiece and put it in the refrigerator.
Spicy pickled shiitake recipe
The spicy appetizer contains adjika, ginger and black peppercorns in the recipe. All ingredients are pre-treated with water and cleaned. Required:
- half a kilogram of mushrooms;
- several cloves of garlic;
- ginger;
- Bay leaf;
- carnation;
- coriander - a pinch;
- vinegar 6% – tablespoon;
- adjika (dry);
- salt.
Step-by-step preparation:
- The main ingredient is washed and boiled in boiling water for about 10-15 minutes. Next, drain through a colander and rinse again under cold water, let them cool on a towel to remove excess moisture.
- For the marinade you will need a pan with clean water, approximately 0.5 liters. Spices, garlic, ginger are added to the water. The brine should boil for 15 minutes, then the main ingredient is added to it and cooked for about another 7 minutes.
- Using a spoon, transfer the contents of the pan into jars so that there are fewer voids, then pour in the marinade and vinegar. The jars are rolled up, cooled and placed on a cool shelf in the refrigerator. The dish is ready in a few days.
Spicy pickled shiitake
If desired, you can add onions, carrots and other spices to the recipe. It is necessary to process vegetables before pickling, for example, fry them in a frying pan with vegetable oil or stew them together with pickled shiitakes.
Terms and conditions of storage
If shiitakes are prepared correctly, that is, boiled, pickled and placed in a sterile container and sealed tightly, then their shelf life in the refrigerator can be about 1 year. At the same time, it is important that the temperature regime is observed; direct sunlight and storage at high temperatures should not be allowed.
To check the tightness of the workpiece, place the jar on the lid. If it does not leak, then the seal is not broken. The marinated appetizer can be stored in the freezer; this option is well suited for making soups.
Once opened, the product should only be stored in the refrigerator and consumed within a few days. Pickled shiitakes with obvious taste or visual defects should not be eaten.
Conclusion
Pickled shiitakes are suitable for any feast as a main dish with a side dish or an appetizer for a strong drink. Whole fresh shiitakes are marinated with the addition of spices to taste. The appetizer can be stored for a long time, and preparing this dish takes less than an hour.
Serve with a side dish or on a plate with chopped vegetables. Sprinkle with herbs. It is better to rinse the pickled shiitakes from the brine if they are to be used in a salad.
Most often, mushrooms are consumed in pickled form, since they can be stored for a long time without losing the quality of taste. Each housewife has her own adapted recipe for pickled shiitake, but they are all based on two recipes.
Shiitake mushrooms have recently entered the diet of Europeans, but Asians have been eating them for many thousands of years. Moreover, these mushrooms are used in the East as part of many medicines that combat metabolic disorders and help protect against radioactive radiation.
In cooking they are used boiled, dried, baked and fried. Shiitake can be seen in such traditional oriental dishes as miso, futomaki and funchoza. These dishes are unusual in taste and require special ingredients, they are difficult to prepare at home, but connoisseurs of the rich taste of shiitake do not despair and use them as an addition to traditional salads, pasta or baked chicken breasts.
A quick way to pickle shiitake mushrooms
Marinated shiitakes prepared this way are an excellent appetizer for any table. The finished product can be served as a separate dish or as part of salads, sandwiches, and dressings.
For this recipe, small fresh or dried mushrooms are used. The semi-finished product can be stored for an unlimited amount of time in a hermetically sealed glass container. When preparing dishes, mushrooms are soaked in a small amount of warm water for half an hour.
Interestingly, dried shiitake mushrooms have a pleasant aroma and a more intense taste due to the increase in fiber.
For a quick method, you only need to marinate the mushroom caps. They are separated from the stem and boiled for five minutes in salted water with the addition of bay leaves, peppercorns, and coriander. During this time, a dressing is prepared from vegetable oil, a small amount of soy sauce, vinegar and mustard seeds. Shiitake mushrooms are poured with marinade for 40 minutes, after which the dish can be served. When serving, the appetizer is seasoned with garlic, finely chopped red onion and herbs. You should use cilantro and arugula with caution; these greens can spoil the taste of the dish.
Preserving pickled shiitake
Although mushrooms are available all year round, stored mushrooms are often found on supermarket shelves. But pickling shiitakes yourself will not be difficult, especially since they taste no worse than pickled milk mushrooms or even porcini mushrooms. For preparation, small mushroom caps are used, they are soaked for several minutes in salted water, and then boiled with the marinade for 10-15 minutes. The marinade contains vinegar, water, salt, bay leaf, and peppercorns. Before putting the preserves into jars, you must wait until the marinade has cooled. This will eliminate the possibility that the jar will burst due to a sudden temperature change. A prerequisite for preservation is heat treatment of the container, that is, the jars need to be calcined or sterilized for half an hour. Pickled shiitakes are laid out in pre-prepared jars, poured with the marinade in which they were cooked, a small amount of vegetable oil is poured on top, forming a protective film, and sealed with separately sterilized lids.
The finished preserve must be wrapped in a woolen blanket or any other fabric that retains heat well. This is important to do in order to slow down the cooling process. If the jars cool quickly, there may be a serious violation of the preservation technology, which can cause the contents to become moldy and the lid of the jar to swell. If this happens, under no circumstances should you re-roll the contents, even after boiling again. This method cannot be applied to mushrooms; they must be disposed of.
While the jars are cooling, you can use another secret. In order to make sure that the seals are sealed, the jars are turned upside down. Completely cooled seams are stored in a cool, dark place. If possible, storage in the refrigerator is encouraged. The shelf life is no more than one year, after which the taste of the contents may deteriorate slightly. This is due to the vegetable oil content in the canned food, which can go rancid.
This long-lasting appetizer is served after first rinsing the mushrooms from the marinade. Season with vegetable or olive oil, garlic and onions; if necessary, you can add a little vinegar. If canned shiitakes are soaked in boiled water for several hours, they can be used to prepare soups, stir-fries, and salads. They can also be fried with onions and carrots and used as a dressing.
Shiitake mushrooms are an oriental novelty that hit the domestic market not so long ago and have managed to win the hearts of many housewives. Unusual taste, eccentric name, unusual shade and enormous benefits - after reading our article you will learn a lot more about these mushrooms.
What are shiitakes?
These are edible mushrooms that grow on trees and have a strong woody aroma. Their round caps are decorated with numerous cracks and thickenings, and the color varies from light brown to dark chestnut. It is thanks to the latter that shiitake is called the “black mushroom”.
The healing properties of these mushrooms are legendary. If in ancient times a dish made from shiitake was used to treat ailments and prolong life, then a modern person can saturate his body with a number of useful elements:
- B vitamins;
- Phosphorus;
- Potassium;
- Iron;
- Cellulose;
- Protein;
- 18 amino acids.
But modern chefs value shiitake for its pleasant combination of pungency and bitterness, as well as for low calorie content. 100 grams of a dish prepared from these mushrooms contains only 35 calories.
Important! Shiitake can cause a severe allergic reaction in some people, so you need to be very careful when introducing them into your diet. The daily norm for an adult is 20 grams for dried mushrooms and 200 grams for fresh ones.
In cooking, there are many ways to prepare shiitake. Dishes created according to our recipes will not leave you indifferent.
Black mushrooms with shrimps
The preparation of this delicacy does not require strict proportions, so you can change the quantity at your discretion:
- Green beans 100 grams;
- Shrimp 150 grams;
- Soy sauce - 5 tablespoons;
- Chinese instant noodles 1 pack.;
- Shiitake - 400 grams;
- Vegetable oil - for frying;
- Garlic 3 cloves.
Learning to cook:
- Boil the shrimp for three to four minutes, drain the water and set them aside.
- Cut the shiitake into strips and fry in vegetable oil.
- Gradually add beans, chopped garlic, boiled shrimp and soy sauce and fry for another 2 minutes.
- Prepare a side dish of Chinese noodles.
- Bring both dishes to the table.
Salmon and mushroom soup
This recipe is absolutely easy to prepare. You will need:
- Salmon fillet or other red fish – 300 grams;
- Mushrooms – 4 pieces;
- Ginger root (grated) – 1 tbsp. l.;
- Dashi broth (sold ready-made) – 1 liter;
- Miso paste – 3 tbsp. l.;
- Lemon juice – 2 tsp;
- Soy sauce – 4 tablespoons;
- Chili pepper - to taste;
- Rice noodles – 200 g;
- Seaweed for sushi.
Learning to cook:
- Add lemon juice to the fish and leave to marinate for about 10 minutes.
- At the end of this period, rub the fillet with grated ginger and bake in the oven (about a quarter of an hour). Do you like to cook fish in a frying pan? Please, only fried foods are higher in calories.
- Brush the finished salmon with soy sauce.
- Bring the broth to a boil, immerse the chopped seaweed and shiitake into it.
- Place the saucepan over low heat, let the liquid boil and add the miso paste.
- After 5 minutes, remove the container from the stove and let the broth brew.
- Separately, cook the noodles and drain the water.
- Serve the soup as follows: place noodles on the bottom of the plate, slices of fish on top, pour broth over everything and garnish with chopped chili pepper.
Pickled shiitake
For this dish you need a whole set of different products:
- Mushrooms – 0.5 kg;
- Salt – 2 tbsp. l.;
- Cloves – 7 pcs.;
- Bay leaf – 1 pc.;
- Mustard seeds – 2 tbsp. l.;
- Dill – 5 umbrellas;
- White wine vinegar – 4 tbsp. l.
Learning to cook:
- Unscrew the mushroom stems and wash the caps thoroughly.
- Fill them with 2 liters of cold water and cook for 15 minutes.
- Prepare the marinade separately - combine a liter of boiled water with dill, cloves, salt, bay leaf, vinegar and mustard.
- Place the mushrooms in the boiling marinade for about 5 minutes.
- Place them in sterilized 1.5 liter jars, fill with the remaining marinade and seal.
Black mushroom chips
Believe it or not, you can make healthy chips from shiitake.
- Large fresh mushrooms - 10 pieces;
- Salt, spices - to taste;
- Vegetable oil - for deep frying;
- Flour – 3 tablespoons;
- Eggs – 3 pieces.
Learning to cook:
- Cut the washed mushrooms into not too thin slices.
- Salt and sprinkle them with spices.
- Prepare a batter from flour and eggs.
- Dip each plate in this batter and deep-fry until golden brown.
- Pat the hot chips dry on a clean paper towel.
Shiitake with peanuts
To prepare this dish you need:
- Fresh or dried mushrooms - 250 grams;
- Butter – 50 grams;
- Peanuts – 100 grams;
- Garlic – 1 clove;
- Parsley, thyme, pepper, salt - to taste.
Learning to cook:
- Roast the peanuts in the microwave until golden brown, remove the husks.
- Cut the shiitake into thin slices, mix them with chopped garlic and fry in butter.
- Season with salt, pepper, herbs, reduce heat and leave the mixture for two minutes.
Serve as a separate dish or combine with a side dish of rice.
Pilaf with shiitake
Do you like to cook pilaf? Why not diversify it with delicious mushrooms?
- Shiitake - 12 pieces;
- Carrots – 3 pieces;
- Vegetable oil – 3 tbsp. l.;
- Onion – 1 piece;
- Short grain rice – 2 cups;
- Salt - to taste;
- Spices (turmeric, barberry, marjoram, sage, coriander, cumin, savory) - to taste.
Learning to cook:
- Pour hot water over the mushrooms and leave for about three to four hours.
- Pour water into a saucepan with a thick bottom and bring to a boil.
- Cut the onion into half rings, the carrots into thin slices, and the mushrooms into slices.
- Place the mixture in boiling water.
- Add spices and salt, stir and cook covered over high heat.
- After three minutes, reduce the heat to maximum and simmer the pilaf for another 10 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat and let the dish sit for a while.
Salad with mushrooms
Dishes with black mushrooms can be very different. Here's another good recipe.
Ingredients for salad:
- Mushrooms – 200 g;
- Almonds – 50 g;
- Radish – 100 g;
- Mixed salad – 200 g;
- Olive oil – 2 tsp;
- Green onion – 2 feathers;
- Carrot – 100 g;
- Sesame – 2 tsp.
Ingredients for refueling:
- Rice vinegar - 6 tbsp. l.;
- Soy sauce – 2 tbsp. l.;
- Rice wine – 0.5 cups;
- Shallot – 1 pc.;
- Pepper - to taste;
- Lemon juice – 2 tbsp. l.;
- Ginger root (grated) – 1 tsp;
- Olive oil – 2 tbsp. l.;
- Chili sauce – 2 tsp;
- Salt - to taste.
Learning to cook:
- Boil the rice wine for 7 minutes and let it cool.
- Add soy sauce, vinegar, grated ginger, oil, lemon juice, shallots and chili.
- Fry the shiitake on a grill or frying pan with olive oil.
- Mix chopped green onions, mixed salad, carrots, crushed almonds and radishes, cut into thin slices, in a salad bowl.
- Pour the dressing over the dish and garnish with sesame seeds and mushrooms.
Are there many other interesting recipes with shiitake mushrooms in your cookbook? We look forward to your suggestions!
To make black mushroom dishes truly delicious, remember a few useful tips:
- Use only mushroom caps; the stems of shiitake mushrooms are tough and tasteless;
- Pay attention to the size of the mushrooms - the smaller, the more tender; the larger, the tastier;
- In India and China, fresh shiitakes predominate, but don’t try to find them here. Feel free to buy dried mushrooms, they have a stronger smell and taste just as good as raw ones;
- Shiitake comes in many varieties. The most prized are donko - winter mushrooms, small and very fleshy.
- Be sure to cover the mushrooms with warm water and leave for two to three hours, or even better, overnight. If you are short on time, sprinkle the mushrooms with sugar and soak them in hot water for at least 45 minutes;
- At the end of soaking, do not forget to squeeze out excess liquid and dry the mushrooms with a towel;
- You can strain the water in which the black mushroom was lying through cheesecloth and use it for cooking soup or stewing vegetables;
- What dishes can be prepared from these mushrooms? The same as those from our usual champignons, chanterelles or honey mushrooms. Shiitake can be fried, stewed, pickled, dried and boiled. Black mushroom is universal; it not only does not suppress the taste of other products, but also emphasizes it even more. Feel free to add them to soup, stew, salad, pies, dumplings, french fries and scrambled eggs. You can even steam and grill them!
Prepare shiitake not only for the holidays, but every day. Delight yourself and your family with a very tasty and extremely healthy dish.
