17 September 2024

The Nutritious Magic of Japanese Mushrooms

Autumn’s drop in temperatures brings with it a longing for hearty meals, like donabe pots filled to the brim with nourishing goodness or the welcoming warmth of a simple miso soup. It is at this time of the year that we make room for more mushrooms on the menu, due to their seasonal abundance and nutritional benefits. Read on and reap the rewards of knowing more about the rich variety of Japanese mushrooms, or kinoko, that you can incorporate into your home-cooked dishes this fall.

Contents

• Shiitake
• Matsutake
• Maitake
• Shimeji
• Eringi
• Enoki

Shiitake

Possibly the most well-known of all Japanese mushrooms, shiitake are appreciated for their meaty texture and their deep, earthy taste. And while your taste buds rejoice at their umami flavor, you can also have peace of mind knowing that you are making a nutritionally sound choice, as shiitake are rich in Vitamin D and dietary fiber. These qualities make them a reliably delicious meat alternative in vegan cuisine. They appear in a wide array of dishes, including soups, stir-fries, hot pots, and are also a popular choice for tempura.

Shiitake can be purchased fresh or dried. What is especially intriguing is that their flavor, aroma and nutritional value increases when dried. Dried shiitake also have a long shelf life, making them a great item to keep handy in your pantry. Placing dried shiitake with their stems facing direct sunlight prior to rehydrating them with water, can increase their Vitamin D content. Admittedly, soaking dried shiitake takes five to ten hours, but once rehydrated, they can be kept refrigerated in a sealed bag for up to a week, giving you plenty of time to enjoy them in various homemade dishes.

Known to grow naturally in Japanese forests, shiitake have been consumed for centuries and their cultivation began as early as the Heian period (794 CE–1185 CE). Further advances in farming methods during the Edo period (1603 CE–1868 CE) meant that the mushrooms could be grown with more reliable and precise results, which led to shiitake becoming not only a common food item, but also a commodity for trade and export. Improvements in preservation and drying technologies have made shiitake a staple nationwide and internationally.

And proving just how serious Japan is about shiitake, the annual National Dried Shiitake Mushroom Appraisal Competition, which diligently assesses the taste, size, aroma, meatiness and other qualities of dried shiitake from producers all over the country, has been held for the past 70 years. When we consider the long history of shiitake consumption and cultivation, as well as the painstaking farming process, which can take as long as three to four years, getting an award for producing them seems very appropriate.

Matsutake

The above image is for illustrative purposes only.

It is not farfetched to say that matsutake occupy a place among mushrooms akin to that of truffles. Rightfully deemed a delicacy, matsutake are highly-prized in the gourmet world, commanding prices as high as 15,000 yen for a mere 100 g (3.5 oz). This may seem exorbitant, but the taste and rarity of matsutake prove the price is, in fact, not so unreasonable.

Matsutake are famed for their unique flavor profile, and are often prepared with minimal seasoning to fully appreciate their earthy, pine-like taste and distinct aroma, that make them a truly gourmet mushroom. They can be grilled, sauteed, or used in broths and rice dishes. One such popular dish is matsutake gohan, rice with matsutake, and if you are in Japan for the autumn season you can even grab it in the form of an ekiben “railway bento” when traveling by train. You will also find them in fine dining establishments served in dishes such as chawanmushi “Japanese steamed egg custard.”

In addition to their culinary value, matsutake are rich in nutrients like dietary fiber and Vitamin D. Matsutake form a symbiotic relationship with the host trees that they grow under, the most well-known being the Japanese red pine akamatsu. The mushrooms can be harvested only once a year during the fall season and are known as a harbinger of autumn. The ideal time to pick them is while their umbrellas are still closed just before they surface. As wild mushrooms, they are incredibly difficult to cultivate and sensitive to changes in weather and environment. This often affects seasonal harvests, resulting in price fluctuations.

Historical sources show that the Japanese people were familiar with matsutake as early as the Jomon period (c. 14,000 BCE–1,000 BCE), as they are featured among the mushroom-shaped pottery pieces found at archeological sites from that time. Furthermore, the oldest extant Japanese poetry collection, the Manyoshu (Collection of Ten Thousand Leaves), includes a poem about their scent during peak season in the mountains of Nara. Hunting for matsutake is even said to have been a favorite pastime of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, one of Japan's three unifiers.

Maitake

Known in the West as Hen-of-the-wood or Ram’s head, maitake leaves a strong first impression with its overflowing ruffles and frills that whirl upward and outward. It is said that this visual exuberance led to its name, which literally translates to “dancing mushroom.”

They are not only beautiful to look at, but also a low-calorie nutritional powerhouse. Among many other vitamins and nutrients, they are rich in Vitamin B2, which regulates the conversion of fat and carbohydrates into energy. Maitake are also extremely beneficial for the skin, eyes and muscles because of high levels of potassium. They are even more bountiful in Vitamin D than other mushrooms and letting them sit in the sun for a while can increase their beneficial nutrients even further. Maitake’s disease prevention potential, including anti-carcinogenic properties, has been the subject of research since the end of the 1940s.

The above image is for illustrative purposes only.

Step into any Japanese supermarket and you are likely to take the ever-present maitake for granted, as it is sold not only in the fall, but year-round. This mushroom, however, is a relatively new addition to the diet of the average Japanese person. Previously, colonies of these mushrooms grew naturally in dense, humid laurel forests and could only be foraged by professionals. However, cultivation began in the 1970s, leading to maitake’s gradual rise in popularity.

With a delicate, nutty taste, the maitake is rich in umami flavors and has a texture with a good bite to it. Appealing to the palate and now widely available, it is utilized in a myriad of Japanese, Western and Chinese dishes. They are popular deep-fried as tempura, and a perennial favorite to add to donabe hot pots, soups as well as in sukiyaki and teppanyaki dishes. Maitake are also famously an essential ingredient in kiritanpo nabe, a regional hot pot cuisine of Akita Prefecture.

Shimeji

Among the various types of shimeji mushrooms, the most commonly known and widely sold are the cultivated bunashimeji, or brown beech mushrooms. In order to distinguish them from other types of shimeji mushrooms, their name includes buna “Japanese Beech,” the tree that they grow under in the wild.

With their short and stout caps huddled close together, bunashimeji are adorable. Rich in potassium, Vitamin D and dietary fiber, they stand out as one of the most low-calorie mushrooms. An commonly mentioned Japanese culinary rule-of-thumb is to choose “matsutake for their fragrance, and shimeji for their taste." Bunashimeji are very versatile, with a mild flavor and slight sweetness, while also being rich in umam. They do not lose their shape during the cooking process and are tender, so their chewy texture can be fully enjoyed. Often included in miso soup, they are also a delicious and thrifty choice to add to pasta and omelets, as well as sauteed dishes and stir-fries.

Although they are now an inexpensive and widespread choice on the shopping lists of homemakers around Japan, that was not always the case. Similarly to maitake, cultivation of shimeji began only in the 1970s. The subtle bitterness that characterized its original wild variant was replaced by an appealing milder taste, which increased its consumer appeal. It takes approximately 120 to 150 days to cultivate bunashimeji in a controlled environment, using sawdust as a medium with special care to keep the appropriate humidity and temperature levels.

Eringi

King oyster mushrooms or eringi, can grow to be as large as 20 cm (7.9 in) in height and 5 cm (2 in) in width, which is apt given their royal moniker in English. They are characterized by a thick white stem which blooms into a wide, brown trumpet-like cap. Just like the English name, their alternate Japanese name awabi-dake ”abalone mushroom” hints at eringi’s special similarity in taste to oysters or abalone.

Eringi are a great vegan or vegetarian option when you are craving a robust and meaty mushroom. With a subtle, nutty flavor, they are delicious when grilled or roasted, especially after being marinated in ginger and soy sauce. When cooked in butter and soy sauce, their distinctive abalone-like flavor can be fully enjoyed.

Adding eringi to your meals can enhance your skin’s appearance and health as they are packed with Vitamin B5. With a high content of dietary fiber, they can also improve gut health, while the niacin content can protect the body from the negative effects of alcohol consumption. Eringi are also rich in beta-glucan and can strengthen your immune system. All this makes eringi an undoubtedly nutrient-filled healthy ingredient.

Enoki

Once a well-kept secret, enoki boast a relatively short but fascinating history. The cultivation of enoki mushrooms dates back to the 1920s in Shinshu Province, Nagano Prefecture, when an article in a popular monthly magazine inspired the development of an innovative bottle cultivation method, which was taught at a local high school. The promulgation of this method and the growing interest eventually turned enoki mushrooms into a closely guarded secret. During this time, most Japanese people were unaware of enoki's existence. 

After a brief pause in the mid-1940s, cultivation resumed during the post-war period when enoki was sold at high prices at Tsukiji Market to high-end restaurants that used it in donabe hot pot dishes. Although more famous for its ski resorts and onsen-bathing snow monkeys, Nagano Prefecture not only produces over 30% of Japan’s mushrooms, but also 60% of enoki mushrooms.

Enoki mushrooms are instantly recognizable for their tiny white caps and long silky thread-like stems huddled together in a tight bunch. They have a high content of GABA, a naturally occurring amino acid, which has a positive effect on everything from sleep and the immune system to metabolism and appetite control. They are also rich in potassium, niacin, Vitamin B1 and, of course, dietary fiber.

They are perfect for adding a subtle bite to your culinary endeavors, whether stirred into a curry or wrapped in bacon for a savory snack. Nutty and mild in flavor, they become soft and somewhat sticky when cooked. One of the most popular recipes that brings out their taste and texture, and works well as a salty, delicate topping for rice, is nametake, in which enoki are simmered in soy sauce.

Japan’s taste for the humble mushroom dates back to prehistoric times. Ancient foragers, who carefully distinguished between different types and passed this vital knowledge to future generations, would likely be astonished by the vast selection available at a 21st-century supermarket. The idea that a mushroom could become one of Japan’s most prized foods might leave them speechless, but what would surely make them smile is seeing people all over the world eager to cook and savor Japanese mushrooms.