Mushrooms, shiitake, raw

Fun Facts

1. Traditional to Asian cuisines, shiitake mushrooms are beloved by omnivores and vegetarians alike. Their dense, meaty texture makes them a good substitute for meat in some dishes, and their distinctive taste lends depth to simple dishes, such as grilled steak. Shiitake mushrooms can be purchased fresh or dried in high end grocery stores and health food stores.
2. Fresh shiitake mushrooms can be eaten raw, but many people don’t think this is possible because they are commonly sold dried. While dried shiitake mushrooms are similar nutritionally to their fresh counterparts, their flavor is more pronounced and they need to be soaked in water before being eaten. Fresh shiitake mushrooms have a more delicate texture than dried ones, and their flavor, while still strong, is less pronounced.
3. A 100 gram serving of fresh shiitake mushrooms has 34 calories and no fat or cholesterol. It also contains 7 grams of carbohydrates, including 2.5 grams of dietary fiber and 2 grams of protein. This provides 2 percent of the daily value of carbohydrates, 12 percent of the DV of dietary fiber and 5 percent of the DV of protein for those on a 2,000 calorie per day diet.