You might be asking, “Why are shiitake mushrooms rubbery and tasteless?” If you don’t like mushrooms, chances are you haven’t tried them properly cooked.
The problem? Frying with oil like other vegetables. If you pan fry mushrooms with an oiled pan, the oil ‘locks’ the surface, meaning moisture can’t get out and seasoning can’t get in.
The result? Rubbery, tasteless mushrooms.
To fix this, simply start with a DRY pan. (This works with all mushrooms, not just shiitake)
- Add mushrooms to a hot, non-stick pan. DO NOT ADD OIL!
- Stir fry until they are slightly brown.
- Now, drizzle oil, then soy sauce.
- Stir-fry until the liquid reduces and the color is dark brown.
Mushrooms contain a high water content, so expect your mushrooms to reduce significantly. If you start with a cup of sliced, raw mushrooms, it will become half that volume, or less, after cooking.
Shiitake mushrooms can be used in a variety of Korean dishes, like Japchae noodles.
Below is a short video demonstrating how to cook shiitake mushrooms. You can see other videos on our YoriHey YouTube channel.
These are also a great source of nutrients! For your information, I’ve added some nutrition facts about shiitake here (pulled from WebMD):
Shiitake Nutrition
Shiitake mushrooms are a good source of key vitamins and minerals:
- Vitamin D
- Copper
- Selenium
- Thiamin
- Riboflavin
- Niacin
- Vitamin B6
- Folate
- Potassium
- Manganese
- Magnesium
- Iron
- Phosphorus
Nutrients per Serving
One-half cup of raw mushrooms contains:
- Calories: 34
- Protein: 2.5 grams
- Fat: 0.5 grams
- Carbohydrates: 7 grams
- Fiber: 3 grams
- Sugar: 2 grams
- Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
- Sodium: 9 milligrams
Mushrooms, in general, contain a lot of protein, which makes them a viable replacement for meat in a vegetarian or vegan diet. Also, unlike meat, they are also high in fiber!
We hope this will make you enjoy mushrooms once again if you’ve been missing them in your diet and cooking.