Ugly Shiitakes
Have you ever seen these? They're "ugly shiitakes", which I found at the UN Plaza farmers market in San Francisco.
"They're actually pretty cute," I told the grungy musician-type manning the booth.
"Eh, yeah, people seem to like them better than the regular ones." He shrugged.
As if on cue, three different people came up behind me, each grabbing a carton of the uglies, and paid for them. They were the regulars with a purpose, it seemed. So I bought some too.
Back home, I had a mushroom epiphany. No, not that kind of mushroom epiphany. Rather, it was the realization that an ingredient that has been a staple in the foods I grew up with, that is so entrenched in Chinese cooking, can be improved upon. These uglies are about half the size of a regular Asian shiitake mushroom. They are twice as soft. There is no thick woody stem that you need to discard. You plop a bunch onto your chutting board and chop away.
And the aroma when cooking is more akin to that of cremini or portabello mushrooms, woodsy but without a tinge of musty like when using regular shiitakes.
I'm sure there is a more scientific name for this shiitake variety. They have got to be sold elsewhere, right? Google doesn't help. If anyone has more info, I'd love to hear it.
It will be hard to go back to regular fresh and dried shiitakes after these.
UN Plaza (Heart of the City) Farmers Market
Sundays 7-5pm
1182 Market Street (between 8th Street & Grove)
Ferry Plaza Farmers Market
Saturdays 8am-2pm
One Ferry Building
Alemany Farmers' Market
Saturdays dawn-dusk
1000 Alemany Boulevard (junction 101 & 280)
Ugly Shiitakes
I get these almost weekly from Far West Fungi at the Mountain View Farmer's Market (Sundays 9-1 year-round at the MV Caltrain Station). The fungi people said they're just 'cosmetically challenged' but not a different variety. Most of the time they also have other 'uglies' - this week there were ugly chanterelles and trumpets as well. I think there's a mushroom-farro risotto on the horizon this week!
I got some a few weeks ago
I got some a few weeks ago from the SF Civic Center market, the smell was incredible. Ended up cooking them in tomato sauce to put on a homemade pizza. Shitake pizza sauce? Can't top that.
just saw these at the culver city farmers market
a specialized mushroom purveyor here in southern california was selling them today as "baby shiitakes"
farmers market
I've been meaning to get to this farmer's market in SF! thanks for the reminder about it!
As someone who adores
As someone who adores shiitakes, I can't believe I've never heard of these! Surprising that they are more like creminis; you'd think the "ugly" would indicate a more intense and musky quality!
Shiitakes!
These look exactly like the ones that they sell fresh here in Malaysia. Yes, they have a lovely fragrance, though my mother doesn't like the smell of them - it can be a bit strong, admittedly. But they taste -wonderful-! They're called just plain shiitakes though, no 'ugly' shiitakes on the label.
These shiitakes look great.
These shiitakes look great. Please share what you cooked with them.
Mark - I ended up making
Mark - I ended up making these great minced pork and shiitake soba noodles.
"Ugly" Shiitake Grower
I am starting a Shiitake farm, and I know why farmers prefer normal Shiitakes instead of "Ugly" Shiitakes. They let them grow longer so they are bigger and weigh more, that's it. If "Baby" Shiitakes are prefered more by the customer, then as a new farmer I will grow only "Baby" Shiitakes. I love Shiitake in my salad, and I can't wait to grow my own full-time instead of every once in a while like I've been doing.
Post new comment