The History of Shiitake Mushrooms

Shiitake mushrooms are native to Japan and China. In ancient Japan, people discovered the mushrooms growing on downed shii trees. They combined the term shii with the Japanese word for mushroom, take, to create the fungi's name. The formal cultivation of shiitake mushrooms began in China between 1000 and 1100 A.D. The mushrooms soon became popular not just in Japan and China, but throughout much of Asia, and were revered not just for their umami-rich flavor, but for their perceived medicinal qualities as well. Modern China has largely adopted an industrial method of growing shiitake mushrooms on sawdust-filled bags, while the traditional approach of growing the mushrooms on logs is more popular in Japan. In recent decades, shiitake mushrooms have become increasingly popular outside of Asia, particularly in the United States, and many small-scale farmers in America have adopted the traditional tree-cultivating methods for growing shiitake mushrooms, too. Today, shiitake mushrooms are the second most cultivated mushrooms in the world and are immensely popular in various cuisines, especially those of their native Asia.