The common name of Lentinula edodes, a mushroom widely used in East Asian cooking, is shiitake.
Shiitake is native to East Asia and mainland Southeast Asia, where it grows naturally on decaying hardwood. Its Japanese name combines shii, a tree traditionally used as a growing substrate, with take, meaning mushroom. The species is also called the Chinese mushroom, black mushroom, or oak mushroom.
The mushroom has a long cultivation history. The earliest written record of shiitake cultivation dates to 1209 in China’s Song dynasty. Japanese growers later developed log-based methods, placing cut hardwood logs near shiitake-bearing trees. Today, commercial producers grow it on hardwood logs or artificial substrates around the world.
Shiitake is used fresh or dried in soups, stir-fries, braises, miso soup, and Japanese dashi. It is not the same as maitake or enoki: those are different species with distinct shapes and flavors. Although edible, raw or undercooked shiitake can rarely cause a skin reaction known as shiitake dermatitis.