Hefeng Shiitake Mushrooms

Hefeng Shiitake Mushrooms

　　Shiitake mushrooms are the world’s second most consumed edible fungus and one of China’s specialties. Over the past decade, China’s shiitake export trade has gradually increased at an annual growth rate of about 2%. Currently, China produces 80,000 tons of shiitake mushrooms annually, accounting for over 80% of the global 100,000-ton output, ranking first in the world, with exports of 36,000 tons, also the highest globally. Japan ranks second and South Korea third. Shiitake mushrooms are distributed across regions in China including Zhejiang, Fujian, Taiwan, Anhui, Hunan, Hubei, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Shaanxi, and Gansu.

Shiitake is a type of fungus that grows on wood. It boasts a delicious taste, fragrant aroma, and rich nutrition, often hailed as the “Queen of Vegetables.” Shiitake is rich in B vitamins, iron, potassium, and provitamin D (which converts to vitamin D upon sun exposure), and has a sweet taste with a neutral nature. It is used to treat poor appetite and fatigue.

Taxonomic Classification of Shiitake

Shiitake belongs to the order Agaricales, family Tricholomataceae, genus Lentinula, also known as shiitake, fragrant mushroom, aromatic mushroom, or winter mushroom.

Nutritional and Medicinal Value

Shiitake is a renowned edible fungus in China, often referred to as a “mountain delicacy” in folklore. Analysis shows that the edible portion of dried shiitake constitutes 72%, with every 100g containing 13g water, 1.8g fat, 54g carbohydrates, 7.8g crude fiber, 4.9g ash, 124mg calcium, 415mg phosphorus, 25.3mg iron, 0.07mg vitamin B1, 1.13mg vitamin B2, and 18.9mg niacin. Fresh shiitake, apart from 85–90% water content, contains 19.9% crude protein, 4% crude fat, 67% soluble nitrogen-free substances, 7% crude fiber, and 3% ash in its solid matter. Shiitake is rich in provitamin D but contains very little vitamin C and lacks both vitamin A and provitamin A. Shiitake polysaccharides can enhance the activity of helper T cells, thereby boosting the body’s humoral immune function. Extensive practice has proven that shiitake has a broad range of anti-cancer applications and is used clinically. It also contains various vitamins and minerals that significantly aid metabolism and improve the body’s adaptability. Shiitake also treats diabetes, tuberculosis, infectious hepatitis, neuritis, and aids digestion, constipation relief, and weight loss. Many ancient Chinese texts record shiitake as “benefits qi, alleviates hunger, treats wind and blood stasis, and benefits the stomach and appetite.” Folk remedies use it to induce measles and chickenpox, treat headaches and dizziness. Modern research confirms that shiitake polysaccharides can regulate the activity of T cells with immune functions, reducing the tumor-inducing capability of methylcholanthrene. Shiitake strongly inhibits cancer cells, with a 97.5% inhibition rate against mouse sarcoma 180 and 80% against Ehrlich carcinoma. It also contains double-stranded ribonucleic acid that induces interferon production, providing antiviral effects. Shiitake contains water-soluble umami substances used as food flavorings, mainly composed of nucleic acid components such as 5'-guanylic acid. The aromatic component mainly comes from lentionione, produced by the decomposition of shiitake acid. Thus, shiitake is an important edible, medicinal fungus, and flavoring agent.

The umami components of shiitake are a class of water-soluble substances, primarily composed of nucleic acid constituents such as 5′-guanylic acid, 5′-AMP, and 5′-UMP, each present at around 0.1%. Its aromatic components mainly come from lentionione generated by the decomposition of shiitake acid.

Shiitake contains an anti-tumor component—shiitake polysaccharide—with a molecular weight of one million, as well as shiitake taiseng, which helps lower blood lipids, along with shiitake adenine and its derivatives. It also contains shiitake double-stranded ribonucleic acid, an inducer of interferon with antiviral properties, making it one of the rare health foods. Shiitake is high in unsaturated fatty acids and contains large amounts of ergosterol and fungisterol, which can be converted into vitamin D, offering excellent benefits for enhancing disease resistance and preventing colds and related treatments. Regular consumption helps prevent rickets caused by vitamin D deficiency, particularly in infants, which leads to disorders in blood phosphorus and calcium metabolism. It also prevents various mucosal and skin inflammations. Lentysin found in shiitake can prevent arteriosclerosis, lower blood pressure, and components that reduce serum cholesterol (C8H11O4N5, C9H11O3N5) have been isolated from shiitake. The ash of shiitake contains abundant potassium salts and other mineral elements, making it an ideal food for preventing acidosis. The carbohydrates in shiitake are mostly hemicellulose, primarily consisting of mannitol, trehalose, and mycose, along with glucose, pentosan, and methylpentosan.