Sugimoto Shoten’s Dried Forest grown pure Shiitake flakes from Miyazaki Prefecture. Both stem and caps are used in these flakes. The Shiitake is carefully grown by over 600+ local growers. They collaborate closely with the local community dedicated to naturally producing delicious Shiitake. Each of the growers’ tailors and fine tunes their cultivation to the ever changing weather and different microclimates in their area. They are not only delicious to eat, but also provide a 100% natural powerful Umami booster. This product can be used in many ways. Some such as a meat alternative (eg Dumpling/Gyoza Stuffing/Burgers) vegetable dishes, soups and the flakes can also be rehydrated to use as a dashi.

Sugimoto’s premium forest-grown dried Shiitake is cultivated locally by traceability managed growers. The growers use a 1,000-year-old Japanese approach to grow sustainable Sweet Sap Oak (Sawtooth Oak) Tree logs. Their Shiitake are grown on Sawtooth Oak which are in Japan recognised as producing the best-tasting and textured. Naturally, forest-grown Shiitake has a distinct and deep flavour with an outstanding firm texture. Forest-grown Shiitake grows slowly when cold winds and natural sunlight quickly dried moisture provided by rain and fog. Each Shiitake has its own unique climatic exposure, which produces distinctive shapes and colours.

The forest undergoes a 15-years life cycle. In the spring, seedlings will grow from sawtooth oak stumps. Thus, the oak trees on the mountain will regrow after a period of time. Very Sustainable. They use a far-infrared drying approach, which minimises moisture to less than 9% (others are 12%+) to preserve a premium taste and quality. These Shiitake has the most natural Vitamin D, 6880 IU/100g, by UVB exposure.

Forest-grown Dried Shiitake contains the largest amounts of Guanylate, which enhances the Umami of Glutamate and creates a much more intense Umami taste. The most abundant amino acids in the natural world are Glutamate. Umami, produced by Glutamate, has a characteristic of becoming seven to eight times stronger through Guanylate of dried Shiitake. The drying process breaks the Shiitake's cell membrane, and the rehydrating produces Guanylate. Dried Shiitake is a natural Umami booster for cooking. Forest-grown Dried Shiitake provides the most and deepest Umami flavour.

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