Shangsi Shiitake Mushrooms

Shangsi Shiitake Mushrooms

　　Shiitake mushrooms, commonly known as xiangxin, are produced in the Shiwandashan Mountains and are a traditional export product of the county. The traditional production method involves selecting sunny days between November and December each winter to fell trees suitable for growing shiitake (there are 46 such tree species, with common ones including Michelia compressa, maple, and paper mulberry). After two to three months, the tree trunks are cut into several sections, and the bark is slashed with knives or axes to create multiple incisions. These are then placed near moist, shaded ditches or tree roots, where the mushrooms begin to grow by the following winter. Though small in size, shiitake mushrooms produced by this traditional method are plump, thick-fleshed, brownish-yellow in color, richly aromatic, tender and crispy, and highly nutritious.