Japanese popular mushrooms, clockwise from left, enokitake, buna-shimeji, bunapi-shimeji, king oyster mushroom and shiitake (front).

Lyophyllum shimeji

Bunapi (developed by Hokuto Corporation)

Shimeji (Japanese: シメジ, 占地 or 湿地) is a group of edible mushrooms native to East Asia, but also found in northern Europe.^[1]Hon-shimeji (Lyophyllum shimeji) is a mycorrhizal fungus and difficult to cultivate. Other species are saprotrophs, and buna-shimeji is now widely cultivated. Shimeji is rich in umami-tasting compounds such as guanylic acid, glutamic acid, and aspartic acid.^[2]

Species[edit]

Several species are sold as shimeji mushrooms. All are saprotroph except Lyophyllum shimeji.

Mycorrhiza

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Hon-shimeji (ホンシメジ), Lyophyllum shimeji

The cultivation methods have been patented by several groups, such as Takara Bio^[3] and Yamasa,^[4] and the cultivated hon-shimeji is available from several manufacturers in Japan.^[5]^[6]

Saprotroph

Buna-shimeji (ブナシメジ, lit. beech shimeji), Hypsizygus tessellatus, also known in English as the brown beech or brown clamshell mushroom

Hypsizygus marmoreus is a synonym of Hypsizygus tessellatus. Cultivation of Buna-shimeji was first patented by Takara Shuzo Co.,Ltd. in 1972 as hon-shimeji and the production started in 1973 in Japan.^[7] Now, several breeds are widely cultivated and sold fresh in markets.

Bunapi-shimeji (ブナピー), known in English as the white beech or white clamshell mushroom

Bunapi was selected from UV-irradiated buna-shimeji ('hokuto #8' x 'hokuto #12') and the breed was registered as 'hokuto shiro #1' by Hokuto Corporation.^[8]^[9]

Hatake-shimeji (ハタケシメジ), Lyophyllum decastes
Shirotamogidake (シロタモギダケ), Hypsizygus ulmarius

These two species had been also sold as hon-shimeji.

Velvet pioppino (alias velvet pioppini, black poplar mushroom, Chinese: 茶樹菇/茶树菇), Agrocybe aegerita

Cooking[edit]

Shimeji should always be cooked: it is not a good mushroom to serve raw due to a somewhat bitter taste, but the bitterness disappears completely upon cooking. The cooked mushroom has a pleasant, firm, slightly crunchy texture and a slightly nutty flavor. Cooking also makes this mushroom easier to digest. It works well in stir-fried foods, as well as with wild game or seafood. Also it can be used in soups, stews and in sauces. When cooked alone, Shimeji mushrooms can be sautéed whole, including the stem or stalk (only the very end cut off), using a higher temperature or they can be slow roasted on a low temperature with a small amount of butter or cooking oil. Shimeji is used in soups, nabe and takikomi gohan.^{[citation needed]}

References[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Shimeji.

^Hon Shimeji located in Sweden - http://www.spiegel.de/wissenschaft/natur/0,1518,703531,00.html (German) - retrieved June 30, 2010
^(in Japanese)Hyoeiオリジナルコラム（なでしこ通信）日本人はキノコが大好きArchived 2007-12-13 at the Wayback Machine, Hyogo NCC College.
^METHOD FOR ARTIFICIALLY CULTURING LYOPHYLLUM SHIMEJI, TAKARA AGURI KK, JP2001120059. ARTIFICIAL CULTIVATION METHOD OF LYOPHYLLUM SHIMEJI, TAKARA BIO INC, JP2007143565.
^NEW STRAIN OF LYOPHYLLUM SHIMEJI AND USE OF THE SAME, YAMASA SHOYU KK, JP2006271234. METHOD FOR ARTIFICIALLY CULTURING LYOPHYLLUM SHIMEJI AND CULTURE MEDIUM, Yamasa Shoyu KK, JP2007054044.
^(in Japanese)雪国本しめじArchived 2007-12-15 at the Wayback Machine, Yukiguni Maitake Co.,Ltd.
^(in Japanese)ヤマサほんしめじ, Yamasa Corporation.
^(in Japanese)Hypsizigus marmoreus - 長期利用微生物参考データ（食品工業利用微生物）, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Japan.
^Bunashimeji and BunapiArchived 2007-12-16 at the Wayback Machine, Hokuto Corporation.
^(in Japanese)ホクト白１号菌 (第13294号)^{[permanent dead link]}, Plant Variety Protection, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (Japan).

External links[edit]

Honshimeji Mushroom, RecipeTips.com. Brown Beech (Buna shimeji), White Beech (Bunapi shimeji), and the Pioppino (Agrocybe aegerita) mushrooms.

Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Shimeji&oldid=1026947184'

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Shimeji mushrooms … difficult to pronounce but delicious to eat. Their deep umami flavor and wide versatility in cooking make up for the initial challenge of trying to pronounce the name of these wonderful mushrooms.

A Little Background

Native to eastern Asia, shimeji mushrooms are in fact not one type of mushroom but a group of edible mushrooms with more than 20 varieties. They have long stems and tiny round caps. The three most common types used in Japanese food are bunapi-shimeji, buna-shimeji, and hon-shimeji.

Hon-shimeji is challenging to grow but the other two are currently cultivated extensively in the United States, Canada, Australia, and Europe.

You may know shimeji mushrooms by their more common name “beech mushrooms” – referred to in this way due to the fact that they typically grow on fallen beech trees. The buna shimeji mushroom is known as the brown beech or brown clamshell mushroom, whereas the bunapi shimeji is called the white beech or white clamshell mushroom.

They are also found growing in northern Europe where they are referred to as pioppino mushrooms. Check out the article The Best Way To Cook Pioppino Mushrooms on this site for links to recipes with an Italian twist.

What Are The Health Benefits of Shimeji Mushrooms

Shimeji mushrooms are a superb source of nutrients but must be cooked in order for us to be able to access their nutrients.

Buna-shimeji or the brown beech mushroom provides a significant source of B vitamins (pantothenic Acid, riboflavin, and thiamin), as well as potassium, zinc, and copper. They are low in calories and fat, and are high in dietary fiber and protein. They’re cholesterol-free and sodium-free. They also contain beta-glucans which boost immunity and may help fight cancer.

A study conducted in Japan concluded that beech mushrooms (along with maitake and king trumpet) help lower plaque deposits in the arteries.

Lastly, shimeji mushrooms contain glutamic acid, guanylic acid, and aspartic acid, which are the sources of their umami flavors.

I explain more about umami in this article Umami Flavor: Your Guide To Making Your Own With Mushrooms.

Where Can I Buy Shimeji Mushrooms?

Readily available year-round now, shimeji mushrooms are commonly sold in a cluster in a sealed cellophane bag.

You have the very best chance of locating them at an Asian supermarket, although with the increasing popularity of mushrooms in general, stores such as Whole Foods might also carry them.

Do I Need To Wash Shimeji Mushrooms?

Commercially grow

Origin Of White Shimeji Mushroom