With its distinctive, meaty flavour, shiitake is the most popular mushroom in Japan (and the second most consumed mushroom in the world) and taste wonderful in any form of cooking in any dish. Dried shiitake absorb cooking sauce well and can add unique flavour to any meals. Shiitake have virtually no calories, but they are packed with vitamins B and D. In addition because of their exposure to the sun, dried shiitake have an even higher concentration of vitamin D, which absorbs calcium quickly and is therefore excellent for strengthening bones and teeth.

In Japan and China, the restorative powers of shiitake mushrooms are legendary. As far back as the 14th century Chinese physician Wu-Rui described shiitake as a food that activates “Q1” the circulating life force, a function of which is to protect the immune system and for centuries they have been used to treat conditions such as colds, flu, ppor circulation, upset stomachs and even exhaustion. Studies conducted over the past 30 years – mostly in Japan – have provided data suggesting that mushrooms or substances extracted from mushrooms may aid in the treatment of certain types of cancer, boost the immune system and reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by lowering cholesterol levels in the blood.