Yun Hai Organic Dried Shiitake Mushrooms - 3.5oz

Sourced from a family-operated mushroom farm in the high mountains of Yunlin, Taiwan, these medium and large organic dried shiitake mushrooms are cultivated by hand on Formosan Sweet Gum logs. The cooler weather and wide temperature swings between day and night create optimal conditions for developing potent flavor and a sturdy texture.

To grow these mushrooms, farmers first make holes in the wood, into which they insert the shiitake spawn and cover with wax for ten months. Over those months, the farmers regularly water the spawn and roll over 100 tons of logs every few days, which stimulates the fungi and ensures even growth. After a ten-month inoculation period, shiitake mushrooms fruit in ten to twelve days. The farmers pick the mushrooms in the morning and sun-dry them until noon. Afterwards, they begin a labor-intensive drying process. The mushrooms are smoke-dried over a low-temperature longan wood fire, fueled by wood from the pruning of fruit orchards. This smoke imbues the mushrooms with the lightest touch of smoke, almost a coffee-like aroma. The layers of mushrooms must be rotated in the smoker for an even exposure, and the low, slow fire is watched for 48 hours to make sure the flame persists. Because the fire is so delicate, the farmers sleep next to the smoker, taking turns stoking it.

Shiitake mushrooms play a primary role in Taiwanese cuisine, adding characteristic earthy flavor to simple dishes like Braised Napa Cabbage 滷白菜 and Taiwanese Oil Rice 油飯. In their dried form, shiitake mushrooms not only retain a more concentrated earthiness, but also develop a more pronounced chew than the fresh version.