Shiitake 4ever

In my research over the last several years about longevity-enhancing foods, certain kinds of mushrooms are frequently mentioned. This is because people who live in Japan, and specificallly on the Japanese island of Okanawa, have a great life expectancy and eat those mushrooms on a regular basis. Maitake, reishi, and shiitake top the list.

I don't know much about the first two, because they don't show up often in produce markets. But I keep both fresh and dried shiitake on hand most of the time. In addition to their youth-promoting reputation, their intense depth of flavor, "meaty" texture, and affinity for strong seasonings makes them terrific ingredients for the health-conscious creative cook.

Here are two short articles that explain some of the shiitake's benefits, one from the University of Wisconsin and one from Whole Foods . Add shiitake mushrooms to your diet and be well for a long time to come. Organically grown shiitakes are readily available (at least in California) and you can even grow them in your back yard or kitchen, on a specially inoculated log.

Tonight I used shiitakes in the simplest of dishes. Over medium heat, I lightly sauteed some finely diced tofu with sliced fresh shiitake in a touch of roasted sesame oil for a couple of minutes, then added a thinly sliced clove of garlic, a sprinkle of tamari, and some curry powder and sauteed for a couple of minutes longer. I then added about 1/4 cup of water and covered the pan. When it started to sizzle, I knew the water was almost gone and removed the lid, added some pre-steamed baby string beans, and gently stirred until the pan was pretty much dry. After transferring the mixture to a serving dish, I squeezed on a little fresh lime juice and added some strips of roasted red bell pepper. And it was good.

vegetarian food cooking lentils tofu shiitake longevity