When I’m out of dried shiitake mushrooms, it’s practically a kitchen emergency. I use them all the time in East Asian cooking to amp up umami goodness, whether it's in a stir-fry, soup, dumpling filling, or a tofu dish. In Vietnamese, they’re called nam dong co
kho or nam huong kho by southern and northern Viet speakers, respectively. The mushrooms in dried form are most often used in my house so we drop the “kho” (dried) when we refer to them. Shiitake mushrooms are typically added during the cooking process. I’ve never eaten them raw. (Have you?)
I decided to write about dried shiitake mushrooms because people ask for tips on how to buy them and prep them. Frankly, the ones sold at mainstream supermarkets are sad, thin capped and mildly flavored. They’re also expensive. Feel free to add your pointers to mine below:
Where to buy dried shiitake mushroom
When you can, head to an Asian market or Chinese herbal shop. You’ll get the best selection and price. If there are special deals, chances are they’re displayed as end caps. But you’ll find a bigger variety in the aisle where dried vegetables and beans are shelved.
Study your options and consider buying a decent amount. After all, dried shiitake mushroom keep for a very long time (probably years but I use mine up fast). I usually purchase a one-pound package of good shiitakes for $15 to $20. Note that premium boxes of mushrooms make great gifts. Gift yourself or an avid cook.
Beware of cheap deals on packages with beautiful big ones displayed on top. More often than not, a bunch of scrawny mushrooms of lesser quality are hidden underneath voluptuous ones. (Guess I’m still somewhat bitter by that bait-and-switch package of shiitakes from years ago.)
What to look for in a good shiitake & how store
Select whole mushrooms, not presliced ones, which can be of questionable quality. Plus, it’s harder to gauge how much of the presliced dried mushroom is needed to equal a full cap. Most recipes call for a full-cap count of shiitake mushroom, not weight. Finally, you can’t control the size of your prepped mushroom. Convenience is not always a
good thing.
Before buying, consider the mushroom cap thickness and check for fissures (see above). Thick mushrooms with deep white fissures on the caps tend to have the most flavor. They may be labeled hana, or “flower” mushroom, a term Japanese packagers use to signal the highest grade. Second-grade mushrooms are also thick but have fewer fissures. The downside to the thick-capped mushroom is that they take longer to rehydrate. You have to plan ahead, or take shortcut measures like the ones below.
Once home, I open the package and dump the dried shiitake mushrooms (along with the silica pack, if included) into a plastic container. I keep the container in the cupboard within easy reach because I use them often. Other cooks prefer to freeze their dried shiitakes. I suppose it depends on humidity where you live. Where do you stand?
How to prep dried shiitake mushrooms
Dried shiitakes require soaking before you can use them. One of the things I recently started doing is removing the stem beforehand. I snap them off with my fingers or hack them off with a cleaver. The stems can be used for stock later on. Just toss them back into your container.
The best method that I’ve found is a long soak in lots of water for 8 hours or overnight. Put the mushroom in a bowl, add water, and tumble the shiitake around to wet them. Then turn them so the absorbent gills point down. The water temperature doesn’t
matter. Follow this long soak method and the rehydrated mushrooms will be deeply
flavored, amazingly firm and velvety when cut. A long soak works wonders on cheapie dried shiitakes too!
Pressed for time? Hack or cut the mushroom cap in half and/or use hot water. The hot water rushes things and the flavor isn’t as elegant as a long soak. But, you get what you need fast.
Regardless of soaking method, before using your plumped up mushrooms, rinse out any particles of sand or dirt trapped under the gills, and give each a gentle squeeze to expel excess water. Reconstituted shiitake mushrooms can be refrigerated in a zip-top bag or airtight container for a week.
Save the shiitake soaking liquid?
The mushroom soaking liquid is particularly good if you need to boost umami in vegetarian dishes, like the roasted kabocha squash dumplings. Just today, I combined the soaking liquid with canned chicken broth to add extra flavor to a pot of chicken and shiitake mushroom rice. I tend to not use a bunch of the soaking liquid as is because it can overwhelm other ingredients and turn a dish into a damp forest floor. I’ve never stored the soaking liquid but I suppose you could do that for a future use.
Subbing fresh shiitake for dried ones & vice versa
I only do this when voluptuous, thick-capped fresh shiitake are available. The fresh ones at Chinese markets are super affordable but know that they often come from China. Knock on wood I’ve not had problems with those. But then, the dried shiitakes that I buy are from China.
Occasionally excellent domestically cultivated fresh shiitakes are sold at my local market. That’s when I strike. Otherwise, I walk right past the fresh shiitakes. Their creamy brown, thin caps don’t appeal. They’re just wimpy. If a recipe calls for fresh ones, like the udon with clams and shiitake (a Japanese take on Italian pasta with clams) or Korean shrimp dumplings, I'd sub rehydrated dried mushroom for the fresh adding a little extra moisture (soaking liquid or water) as needed to mimic the fresh mushroom texture and impact on the dish.
Shiitake mushroom are workhorses in many Asian kitchens. Invest in a supply of excellent ones and you won’t regret it.
Related posts:
Recipes that use dried and fresh shiitake
Savuryandsweet says
As a kid I used to pick out the nam dong co from my mom's stir fry dishes like mien xao dai han. 20 years later, in my old age I appreciate and enjoy the flavor much more. Thank you for the tips, the ones mom used to buy resemble the wimpy ones more - maybe that was the problem?
Lauren, Ephemerratic says
Awesome advice. I've long used dried shiitake, mostly as a sushi ingredient. But my "meh" attitude toward them when used other ways now makes sense — I was buying sub par shiitake, and totally getting snookered by the pretty on top, crappy underneath packaged types!
Debra Hartmann says
Love the idea to snap off the stem before soaking--thanks!
Maggie says
Thanks for this informative post. I think that raw shiitakes can provoke an allergic reaction. I sometimes add a little sugar if using mushrooms in a broth or soup, it counteracts the slight bitterness that you sometimes get.
Bao Ngo says
Hi Andrea, Great read. Thanks! I've been waiting to read an article like this. It is very useful. I can't wait to go to the grocery store to search for mushrooms. I often time have no idea how to pick it when I go to the store. Do you have a preferred go-to brand(s)?
Aki@cookingcom says
Thanks for these tips. I always see them in the supermarket when I'm in Asia but I avoid them because I don't know how to cook them. I don't want anything to go wrong and the whole thing ends up tasting differently from what I expect.
I prefer having mushrooms when they are prepared by someone who has lots of experience with them. People are always reminding me that it's pretty hard to go wrong with them, since they absorb most flavors well.
I will give it a try one day but I'm not in a hurry to do so.
charsiew says
I buy thick ones with fissures, preferably from Japan as they are better quality. I soak them in warm water to speed up the process and they are delicious stewed with duck legs, star anise and red wine, really gives the dish a super duper umami kick!!
Wendy says
I buy them fresh all the time from Asian markets in Los Angeles. it costs about $3/lb. I used them in stir-frys and noodle dishes. It's meaty when it's fresh. It's ready to use and does not required soaking. Frnakly, I can't really taste it and it's just like white mushrooms.
ann says
I'd go with mushroom from Japan. There was a huge recall for the ones from China at least 8 months ago due to the prevalence of several chemicals and preservatives found in the mushrooms.
Kristie V says
Thank you for the excellent advice! I have never bought shitakes with those beautiful fissures before, but will make a special trip to my Asian market now that I know. Since I already love the flavor of my low quality shitakes, I can't wait to try the best!
Andrea Nguyen says
My mom uses the less expensive ones so I understand. Maybe tell your mom to do a long soak?
Andrea Nguyen says
I'm glad I wasn't alone, Lauren...
Andrea Nguyen says
Yeah, those stems get in the way. Took me decades to figure that one out!
Andrea Nguyen says
Good tip on the sugar addition, Maggie. Ooh, allergy. Man o man.
Andrea Nguyen says
I don't have a go-to brand and shop by price. I was looking at some the other day and it was hard to figure out a brand.
Andrea Nguyen says
Go for it, Aki! Seriously. You've got nothing to lose.
Andrea Nguyen says
Oh yes, shiitake and duck are a match made in heaven. Delicious.
Andrea Nguyen says
I didn't hear about the recall, Ann. Thanks for the tip. So sad. The Chinese need to get their act together. Maybe Taiwan produces some?
Andrea Nguyen says
So cheap, huh? Yesterday the price was $3.60 a pound at Ranch 99. Fresh, beautiful and from China. Once in a while, I get them too. You have to buy a lot on one of those styrofoam trays.
Andrea Nguyen says
Check them out, Kristie! Have fun.
Diane says
Do NOT eat them raw. Friends of mine got very sick and were in the ER and then hospital for days because they used dried shitake powder uncooked on an entree they made (sounded good, and they thought it would add umami). Turns out there are people for whom this causes a severe rash - in their case in their throats. It was life-threatening...
http://www.thekitchn.com/strange-but-true-the-raw-shiit-139975
reeta says
Love reading your blog..am from India and recently got some dried shiitakes and made soup with them!
cheers!
Delhi Foodies' Zone
Yun Ho says
The pictured shiitake mushrooms are hard to find in regular Asian markets in the States as you have a very fine specimen of shiitake mushrooms. In Korea, all dried shiitake mushrooms are kept in a dry place and never in a freezer. Fresh shiitake mushrooms are fraction of the cost of dried ones as nutritional values of dried ones are much higher than fresh ones.
Andrea Nguyen says
Diane -- thanks for the 411 on NOT eating raw shiitakes. No wonder...
Andrea Nguyen says
Namaste, Reeta!
Andrea Nguyen says
I think we need to go shopping together...
Lili says
I've been lucky enough to not have come across those wimpy shiitakes but I haven't had too many experiences with those beautiful hana mushrooms with the deep fissures. I rely mostly on a quick soak method, with boiled water fresh from a kettle. I found that soaking dried shitakes with boiled water and a plate on top to help "steam" them really penetrates the dried mushrooms.
Eliza Wolfe says
Thanks for the good info. If there's leftover from soaking, how long would the rehydrated mushrooms last in the fridge, do you think?
Ronald J. Richards says
Dear Chef< I had to read all of the comments to make sure I was original. After the 30 minute warm water soak, use your handy kitchen shears and snip of all of the stems. Want to try a speed contest? lol
Andrea Nguyen says
Thanks for the tip, Ronald!!!
Joana Wolf says
Love your post! I soaked my whole dried shiitakes last Thursday and completely forgot about it. Its in a mason jar with lid and still soaking right now. So it's been in the fridge for 5 days now. Do you think they're still safe to eat? I was thinking of sauteeing them today.
Andrea Nguyen says
I don't know. Do they smell weird or are they slimy? If you had them in the fridge, they should be just great!
Win says
I bought a bag of dried shiitake mushrooms the directions on bag said to soak 1/2 hour in cold water then cook as required. After 1/2 hour they are still dry near centre although look plumped enough till I cut them in half. So will I leave overnight ?
Andrea Nguyen says
It depends on the mushroom. Thin ones from the regular supermarket will take 30 minutes. The ones from Asian markets take longer. I soak the Asian market ones for 8 hours or longer.
Timo says
I found a large 450 gram bag of what is labeled premium quality Black Forest MUSHROOM the brand was SnakYard from China. There are no instructions how to prep them. Thank you for this post!
Andrea Nguyen says
There seldom are directions. Glad to be of help.