Ingredients:: Porcini + Shiitake

I find myself wondering about the origin and source of some of my favourite food ingredients (if there's ever such a thing). When my curiosity is suitably piqued, I research the ingredients for a better understanding of their benefits to health and overall well-being. So from time to time, I will be sharing some interesting findings with you as they relate to my personal experiences - especially in my recipes.

For my first posting in this category, I have selected 2 ingredients that are probably high up on my ten favourite ingredients list. 

Porcini Mushrooms - Boletus Edulis

Porcini

Grown wild across a wide range of habitats - from Northern Scandinavia, Southern Italy, North America and Mexico.
My love affair with Porcini began about 5 years ago when I saw it used as a food ingredient on a cookery programme (I watch so many, I forget which one), and since then my risotto dishes seem incomplete without it. I have only ever used dried Porcini to cook with.


Shiitake Mushrooms - Leutinula Edodes

Shiitake

Unlike the Porcini, Shiitake are native to East Asia (Japan, China and Korea), but can be cultivated anywhere under the right conditions. I discovered Shiitake recently by chance when I mistakenly picked it up while out shopping for Porcini. Imagine my panic when I got home and realised I had the wrong ingredient. I mean they certainly look alike. But I suppose it was fate because it worked out swimmingly in the end. Just as with the Porcini, I have only ever used the dried Shiitake. I use it interchangeably with Porcini although I find it to be more flavour and fragrant intensified, but with the same meaty texture of Porcini (less pricier). I do intend, at some point, to use fresh Porcini and Shiitake for comparison basis.

A couple of weeks ago, I attended the Speciality & Fine Food Fair at Kensington Olympia (see blog), and even though I already had a set agenda in place about the products I would be focusing on on that day, I could not but make a detour when I came across the Shiitake on display at Food and Drink Wales stand (The Mushroom Garden) where I was able have an enlightening chat with them explaining the processes involved in growing and harvesting Shiitake.
Unlike the wild growing Porcini, Shiitake are grown on hardwood logs or on sawdust blocks which are inoculated and maintained under a conducive combination of sunlight, day & night cycles and ventilation.

Dried Porcini and Shiitake are more nutritionally compact than the fresh ones. They are not only high in protein, potassium, niacin, B vitamins, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus, they also has all the essential amino acids, but limited in methionine, cystine and valine. In addition to this, they have natural anti-viral and immunity boosting properties, lower cholesterol and regulate blood pressure.

Sources
I.R.Hall, Lyon A.J.E., Wang, Y., Sinclair, L. 1998: Ectomycorrhizal Fungi with edible fruiting bodies 2. Boletus Edulis Economy Botany, 52:44-56.
S.C. Jong and J.M. Birmingham. "Nutritional Value of the Shiitake Mushroom", Proceedings of the National Shiitake Mushroom Symposium, Huntington Alabama, November 1-3,1993.
Shen, J. et al. "An Evidence based Perspective of Leutinus Edodes (Shiitake Mushroom) for Cancer Patients (pp. 303-317) in evidence based Anticancer Materia Medica. 2011.
www.themushroomgarden.com.
www.shiitakeorganic.com.
www.shiitakemushroomlog.com.
www.chianti.info.

Note: This is not a sponsored post.