Shiitake Mushroom (Lentinula edodes)
Shiitake (Lentinula edodes) is a brown, umbrella-capped mushroom almost always sold cultivated rather than wild-foraged in the US, with 34 calories and 2.24 g of protein per 100 g raw, per USDA FoodData Central.
Identification
Shiitake has a brown, umbrella-shaped cap, typically 2 to 4 inches across, with white gills on the underside and a tough, off-center stem that's usually trimmed off before cooking. In the wild it grows on dead hardwood logs in East Asia; nearly every shiitake sold in the US is cultivated on inoculated hardwood logs or sawdust blocks, not foraged, which is why it carries no widely reported dangerous lookalike the way wild-foraged species do.
Nutrition per 100 g, raw
| Nutrient | Amount per 100 g raw |
|---|---|
| Calories | 34 kcal |
| Protein | 2.24 g |
| Carbohydrate | 6.79 g |
| Fat | 0.49 g |
| Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) | ~2 mg (about 30% of Daily Value) |
Per USDA FoodData Central, raw shiitake is low in calories and fat relative to its protein content, and it's a notable source of vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) at roughly 30% of the Daily Value per 100 g.
Cooking and handling
Shiitake is standardly cooked rather than eaten raw. Per case reports on shiitake dermatitis, raw or undercooked shiitake can trigger a toxic skin reaction to lentinan, a compound in the mushroom's cell wall, appearing about 48 hours after consumption as linear, whip-mark-like lesions that resolve within roughly 10 days. Lentinan is thermolabile and breaks down with heat, so thoroughly cooked shiitake doesn't carry the same reported risk.
For how shiitake compares to other edible species covered on this site, see the Edible Mushroom Guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources
- USDA FoodData Central, Mushrooms, shiitake, raw: Nutrient values per 100 g raw
- PMC4371686, Shiitake dermatitis: Clinical case reports on lentinan-induced flagellate dermatitis from raw/undercooked shiitake