Shiitake Mushrooms (Half Pound) Pick Up Only

The shiitake mushroom (lentinula edodes) holds a rich culinary past that spans centuries. It originated in East Asia — more than 80% are cultivated in Japan — and has long been used as a medicinal supplement in multiple countries, including Korea and Russia, according to Healthline. The shiitake can come in varying shades of brown and grey, and can sometimes appear spotted. Beneath its cap, the mushroom can span from three to six inches and, according to the University of Vermont, is the second most commonly cultivated mushroom worldwide. 

The shiitake's flavor is often described as rich, buttery, or filled with umami. Umami, by the way, is known as one of the five basic tastes — along with sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. That full-bodied, deep flavor you get from a thick, crispy burger or charred, roasted eggplant? That experience — umami — is essential to the shiitake mushroom, and part of what makes it so exciting.