Shiitake – Why grow them? What does the name mean and where in the world do they come from?

Madarch Cymru grows three types of gourmet mushrooms, Lion's Mane, Oyster mushrooms, and Shiitake, and Shiitake was the first mushroom we grew when the business started 20 years ago. But why Shiitake, and what is the history of this specialty mushroom?

Shiitake is one of the most popular edible mushrooms that can be cultivated in the world, accounting for about 25% of all mushrooms produced annually worldwide. The people of the Far East have been producing and eating Shiitake for many centuries (the first record in China is from 1209), and it is considered one of the finest and healthiest delicacies in China, Japan, and the neighboring countries where it grows naturally.

Since the beginning of the 2000s, there has been growth in the demand for Shiitake as television programs and chefs have regularly used and promoted it. Additionally, because the mushroom's texture resembles meat, it has become a favorite among vegetarians and vegans, and this market continues to grow.

Here are some of the main reasons why we started with Shiitake using a growing system originally developed by a company from West Wales in the 1990s and later bought by Madarch Cymru.

A few facts about Shiitake now, or Lentinula edodes to give it its scientific name. The Japanese word is Shiitake, a compound word combining 'Shii' meaning tree and 'Take' meaning mushroom. So Shiitake means tree mushroom. Surely some of you have noticed that several mushrooms from Japan include the word 'take,' for example, Maitake, another edible mushroom.

They naturally grow on the native trees of the far East, mainly on Chinquapin trees which are related  to Eastern Oak and Beech trees, and that is why we grow them on oak sawdust and chips from Wales. You will learn more about our growing process in another blog in the future!