Add deep savory, meaty and smoky flavor, umami to dishes which enhance the flavor of soups, stir-fries, and simmered dishes. Contains glutamate naturally which gives the mushrooms that savory umami taste that makes Chinese food taste so good, without using additives like MSG.
APPLICATION:
Add them into your noodle soups or Japanese-style pasta.
Add them into a stew or braised dishes
Use them as a substitute for meat to make vegetarian mapo tofu
Add them into a stir fry vegetable to bulk up your dish
Mince them and add into the filling for gyoza or spring rolls
Add them into a mixed rice dish
Storage condition:
Best kept in an airtight containers or Glass jars with tight fitting lids. Keep away from direct sunlight.
HOW TO prepare for cooking:
Gently rinse the dried mushrooms with cold water.
place the dried mushrooms in a bowl then pour warm water. soak for about 20 - 30 minutes, or until softened.
Remove the mushrooms from the liquid. keep the liquid in a separate bowl.
HOW TO USE:
Soaking Liquid: The water that is used to rehydrate dried shiitake mushrooms will turn brown and it is called the Shiitake Dashi, a by-product from the soaking process. Since the soaking liquid has good nutrients and flavors, we don’t throw it away and instead find a good use for it in cooking. We usually combine the liquid with other kinds of dashi to enhance the flavor and add umami; however, we rarely used shiitake dashi as its own.