Shiitake mushrooms have wide, tan or brown caps that look like little umbrellas and very sturdy stems. People in Japan and China have been growing shiitake mushrooms for over 1,000 years, making them one of the oldest farmed mushrooms in the world! Their name comes from the Japanese word “shii,” which is the name of the tree they love to grow on. In the wild, shiitakes grow on the bark of old logs and dead trees in the forest.
Shiitakes have a rich, woodsy smell and a strong, yummy flavor that makes soups and stir-fry dishes taste extra delicious. They are one of the most popular mushrooms in the whole world, and people eat billions of them every year! Shiitake mushrooms are also super healthy because they are full of vitamins that help your body stay strong and fight off germs. Farmers grow them on special logs or blocks of sawdust, and it takes several months for the mushrooms to pop out. When they finally appear, they grow in clusters that look like a little mushroom family all living together on the same log!
