Dried Shiitake Mushrooms

In Asia, shiitake mushrooms have been popular and ubiquitous for centuries, while in Europe they have only recently conquered the market. One of the biggest advantages of shiitake mushrooms is that they are not seasonal, so they are available fresh at any time of year. Our shiitakes are dried and have a firm, juicy flesh with a slightly earthy flavor.

Shiitake goes best with the following dishes:

• Eggs
• Asian dishes
• Meat

How healthy are shiitake mushrooms?

In addition to healthy ingredients, shiitake mushrooms also have very good nutritional values and are therefore popular with athletes. They score high in protein with few calories and zero grams of fat. Shiitake mushrooms also have many vitamins, such as vitamin B12, vitamin C and vitamin D. By the way, the vitamin C and vitamin D content is healthy for the nervous system and for the bones. The shiitake mushroom also has healing properties. For example, it helps to lower high blood pressure or cholesterol levels and thus prevents circulatory diseases.

Why are dried mushrooms so expensive compared to fresh mushrooms and are there any advantages at all?

Fresh mushrooms contain a lot of water and lose up to 90% of their weight during drying. This justifies the higher prices of dried mushrooms compared to fresh mushrooms. But don’t worry. The dried mushrooms swell to almost their conventional size during soaking and both their taste and consistency remain almost unchanged. One of the biggest advantages of dried mushrooms is their shelf life.  If stored correctly, sufficiently dried mushrooms can be kept for several years without any noticeable loss of quality. It is important for the shelf life that the mushrooms are stored in an airtight container.