FUN WITH FUNGI

Shiitake are the ideal mushrooms for beginners: they’re easy to cultivate and can be cooked in all sorts of ways. Not only are they extremely flavoursome, but they also have proven health benefits. The name ‘shiitake’ comes from Japanese and means ‘mushroom [take] that grows on the Castanopsis tree [shii]’. In the wild, this species grows on the dead trunks and branches of deciduous trees in the forests of China and Japan. Shiitake is the most widely grown edible variety after the button mushroom.

CHARACTERISTICS

The light to dark brown cap often bears white marks and can grow to a diameter of up to 10cm (4in). The stem is firmer