What is a Shiitake Mushroom/Donggo?

Shiitake mushrooms refer to dried shiitake mushrooms made by sun-drying fresh ones. Fresh shiitake mushrooms are first dried in the sun and then final-dried at low temperatures without losing any nutrients to create dried shiitake mushrooms. Depending on their quality grade, shiitake mushrooms are classified into Hwago, Donggo, Hyanggo, and Hyangsin, with Donggo being the second grade. Donggo is known for its chewy texture, while Hyangsin is noted for its soft texture. Hyanggo has a texture somewhere between Donggo and Hyangsin. While Donggo, Hyanggo, and Hyangsin differ in shape and texture, their nutritional components are identical. The photo below shows Donggo, Hyanggo, and Hyangsin soaked in water. Donggo has a cracked surface with stripes on the cap, while Hyangsin is smooth without any stripes.

Shiitake Mushroom

Shiitake mushrooms are found in the wild across Korea. While our ancestors recorded them in literature using the Chinese characters (蔈菰, 瓢菰, etc.), the name "Pyogo-beoseot" (shiitake mushroom) is a pure Korean word. Shiitake mushrooms are listed under the Korean name Pyogo-beoseot in the Joseon-era medical text, Dongui Bogam. In China, they are referred to as Hwago, Donggo, Hyanggo, and Hyangsin.

In plant taxonomy, the shiitake mushroom is a fungus(属) belonging to the genus Lentinula, which parasitizes oak trees in temperate regions. There are eight species(種) worldwide, native to Korea, China, and Japan. Since ancient times, shiitake has been widely used as food along with pine mushrooms and oyster mushrooms, and it is the most actively cultivated mushroom.

Considering that the first cultivation of shiitake mushrooms began in China in the 1100s, it is clear that humans have been consuming them for over 900 years. Furthermore, given that shiitake was first listed in the Chinese medical text Bencao Gangmu in 1596 and in the Korean medical text Dongui Bogam in 1613, it is evident that they have been used in traditional medicine for at least 400 years.

Shiitake Mushroom Quality Grades

Usually, shiitake mushrooms are classified into Hwago and Donggo. This classification is commonly used, but the Korea Forest Service, a government agency, classifies them into Donggo and Hyangsin, which is the official classification. Hwago, Donggo, and Hyangsin are not types of shiitake mushrooms but indicate quality grades.

Hwago -Flower Mushroom

Hwago(花菰) was named because the shape of the mushroom cap resembles a flower. Mushrooms with deep cracks on the cap, a strong white color, and a pearly, bright appearance are called Baekhwago (White Flower Mushroom), while those with deep cracks but less whiteness and a pale yellowish, slightly darker appearance are called Heukhwago (Black Flower Mushroom). Heukhwago occurs when the harvest time for Baekhwago is missed or when the mushroom absorbs excessive moisture, causing the white color of the Baekhwago to turn yellowish-white or pale yellow, naturally making it look darker than Baekhwago. Below are photos of Baekhwago and Heukhwago.

Donggo -Winter Mushroom

Donggo(冬菰) is named after the fact that it is harvested during the winter(冬) season before the start of spring. Donggo is further subdivided into three types based on the spread of the mushroom cap. If the cap has spread little, it is called Donggo; if it has spread slightly, it is Hyanggo; and if it has spread widely, it is Hyangsin. Donggo and Hyanggo have a stronger chewy texture than Hyangsin, while Hyangsin is softer than the others.

Because shiitake mushrooms are harvested year-round today, the winter(冬) meaning of Donggo has practically disappeared. Below is the appearance of Donggo grown in October and June. You can see that the October Donggo cap is hemispherical and round, while the June Donggo cap has cracks and is slightly wider.

Shiitake Mushroom Price and Usage

Shiitake mushrooms have the best taste and aroma in spring compared to other seasons. Those harvested in spring grow slowly during the dry winter, so they are chewier and have a richer fragrance. The price of shiitake mushrooms increases as the grooves on the back of the cap become deeper, the cracked areas become more numerous, the cap spread becomes smaller, and the pearly color becomes more intense. Therefore, Baekhwago, which looks like a bright flower with the most intense pearly color, is the most expensive, followed by Heukhwago > Donggo > Hyanggo > Hyangsin in descending order of price.

Since the price of shiitake is determined by appearance rather than taste, aroma, or nutritional components, Baekhwago and Heukhwago are suitable as gifts, while Donggo, Hyanggo, and Hyangsin are suitable for cooking or health purposes.

The reason Hwago is significantly more expensive than Donggo is because of its beautiful appearance and scarcity. Hwago and Donggo are born together on the same tree, but the probability of a Hwago being born is less than 1%, and it mainly occurs only in spring, making it difficult to obtain in large quantities. Hence, its scarcity value is high. The photo below shows shiitake mushrooms immediately after harvest, from which you can see why Baekhwago is the most expensive and Hyangsin is the cheapest.

Why dry shiitake mushrooms?

First, drying shiitake mushrooms makes their taste and aroma much better than fresh ones. This is because, during the drying process, the taste-enhancing components 5-guanylic acid and glutamic acid increase, and an additional aroma component called lenthionine is produced, which elevates the flavor and fragrance.

Second, fresh shiitake mushrooms are naturally rich in Vitamin D, and drying them makes them even richer in Vitamin D. To produce dried mushrooms even richer in Vitamin D, they should be dried in the sun, which is rich in ultraviolet rays, rather than with a machine dryer.

Third, drying fresh shiitake reduces their volume, making them more convenient to store than fresh mushrooms. Because dried mushrooms return to their original fresh form when soaked in water, they can be stored in limited spaces. They are also superior for long-term storage as they do not spoil easily.

Fourth, if you compare the texture of rehydrated mushrooms with that of fresh ones, the dried ones are better.

Nutritional Components of Shiitake Mushrooms

The following is an analysis table of the general components of shiitake mushrooms. "Dry basis" refers to the content ratio calculated excluding moisture, and "wet basis" refers to content calculated while including moisture.

Analysis Table of [General Components] of Shiitake Mushrooms (Rural Development Administration Rural Living Research Institute, Dry Basis)

Analysis table of [Trace Components] of Shiitake Mushrooms (per 100g, Rural Development Administration Rural Living Research Institute, Wet Basis)

Shiitake mushrooms are rich in carbohydrates, protein, potassium, vitamin B, and vitamin D. Here is a brief introduction to some of the key, unique, and trace components found in shiitake mushrooms.

The supplier of this product is Nature Agricultural Corporation (CEO: Kim Ju-il) located in Gyeongsan, Gyeongbuk, and the producers are residents of Mt. Taebaek. Our nature-focused agricultural corporation, which cultivates, processes, and sells mushrooms, was established in 1997 and succeeded in the nation's first artificial cultivation of wood ear mushrooms in 2007. We acquired Korean patents (No. 10-0806484) and Japanese patents (No. 4624432) for our freeze-drying method for mushrooms in 2008 and 2010, respectively, and began exporting mushroom products to Japan and other parts of Asia in 2012.

Using our proprietary patented technique, Nature Agricultural Corporation produces dried Oxygen Shiitake Mushrooms, which retain properties nearly identical to fresh mushrooms. Oxygen shiitake mushrooms are special mushrooms that maintain the softness, aroma, and taste of fresh mushrooms while weighing less and having a longer shelf life.

Nature Agricultural Corporation produces and processes 48 different items, including shiitake, wood ear, oyster, button, king oyster, and enoki mushrooms, using eco-friendly farming methods, and supplies them to Nonghyup Mart, Lotte Mart, Hanaro Mart, Lotte Super, and Lotte Shopping. Additionally, the corporation purchases raw materials such as silver ear mushrooms from overseas and rock mushrooms from other regions in Korea to package and distribute domestically.

a). Before cooking, rehydrate in cold water with a little salt or sugar added for 2-3 hours.

b). Do not discard the water used to rehydrate the mushrooms; use it in stews or soups.

c). Remove the mushroom stems attached to the center of the caps before use.

d). Rehydrating in cold water rather than warm water improves the flavor and aroma.

e). Rehydrating for 5-6 hours in the refrigerator provides even better flavor and aroma.

Dong-go (thick caps) 500g

Individual Size = Not uniform, but generally: Dong-go < Hyang-go < Hyang-shin in order of size

Not applicable under relevant laws.

Not applicable under relevant laws.

Not applicable under relevant laws.

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