Rehydrated shiitake should not be thrown away, but reused as an ingredient in dishes such as miso soup, chikuzenni, and tenshinhan. Storage If you're wondering if shiitake mushrooms are healthy, the answer is a definite yes! These little nutrition powerhouses are low in fat and calories, and high in fiber and vital minerals that can be hard to get from other sources.

Use hands to gently wash the mushrooms with the re-hydrating water, to remove dirt entirely. Gently squeeze the extra water from the mushrooms.Browned Vegan Butter Mushroom Stuffing: Tangy sourdough and umami mushrooms are the foundation of this hearty, comforting stuffing. Infused with autumnal herbs and nutty browned butter, it’s the best side dish you could invite over for Thanksgiving dinner. It is common for people not to clean their soaked mushrooms as they're under the assumption it will wash the flavor out. Others claim that you must rinse mushrooms to remove residual grit. Shiitake mushrooms have long been used in traditional Chinese medicine. They’re also part of the medical traditions of Japan, Korea, and Eastern Russia ( 4). Nicola first explored cooking as a career when training at Leiths, before spending the next decade in Finance. However... after a stage as a chef at a London Michelin-starred restaurant, Nicola saw the incredible ingredients available only to chefs. And wanted access to them herself. So Sous Chef was born.

Umami flavor can be described as savory or meaty. It’s often considered the fifth taste, alongside sweet, sour, bitter, and salty. There is a high concentration of MSG(or monosodium glutamate), a naturally occurring amino acid considered an essential part of mushrooms' distinct savory taste, otherwise known as umami. McGee explains that drying stimulates enzymatic reactions and causes amino acids to brown.Dried shiitake mushrooms are distinguished by their high concentration of guanylic acid, one of the three primary umami components—glutamic acid and inosinic acid. Guanylic acid, produced during the drying process, is a unique element that sets shiitake mushrooms apart from other ingredients. In Chinese medicine, shiitake are thought to boost health and longevity, as well as improve circulation. Welbaum GE. (2015). Vegetable Production and Practices. CAB International. p.445. ISBN 978-1-78064-534-6. Forager’s Pie: In the spirit of shepherd’s pie, this Forager’s Pie replaces ground beef with umami-rich shiitake mushrooms and tempeh. Incredibly meaty and satisfying, this is the next level of plant-based comfort food.