Japanese Food Bites: Indulging in the Taste of Summer

I may have found my soulmate on a mushroom farm. He was plump, proud, and grilled to perfection. Saito Hayato, the director of Sakura Mushroom Garden, gave me the pleasure to check out his Shiitake farm, where I saw what goes into their special process of producing the shiitake. The intricate rooms, ingenious machinery, and breathtaking environment of the farm blew me away, and the remarkable barbecue delight at the end of the visit transformed my culinary standards for mushrooms to a whole new level.

Saito-san first led us to the mushroom bed factory where he explained how mushroom beds are made from start to finish. Sawdust ground from beech or oak trees are mixed with nutrients, such as rice bran. The mixture is then bagged and sterilized at 100°C for eight hours in the sterilization pot.

Afterwards, the beds are moved into the refrigeration room to cool down and are inoculated with shiitake spores. The beds are moved into the incubation room where they will stay there at a comfortable 23°C for three months. Finally, after the incubation is complete they are moved to the cultivation and harvesting house.

As I stepped into the harvesting room, I was greeted by a labyrinth of mushroom beds stacked neatly onto the shelves, with some already blooming with shiitake. I look down at the floor covered with the quality-tested natural water that is pumped up from 50 meters underground, soaking my shoes as a tiptoe over to receive my harvesting weapon.

“Please use these scissors to cut three shiitake mushrooms per person from the base” said Saito-san. “Only three?” I cried to myself. With only a limit of three, I went on a quest to find the biggest ones I could get. After inspecting each mushroom bed, I found the big three I wanted, carefully lowering my tool to their bases. SLICE! SLICE! SLICE! It was finished. I walked out proud, admiring the beautiful shiitake mushrooms I have just harvested, all with their cute brown tops and their off-colored white slim pants.

I spoke with Bennett Franciosi, a friend of mine on the tour, and we agreed how fun it was to harvest the shiitake. “That was super cool! I’ve never knew what mushroom farms looked like, let alone how to harvest them either” said Bennett. Something he noticed about the farm that I missed was how humid the air was in the room, saying “I also didn’t expect the room to be that humid. It felt nice.” Looking back the room did have this soothing, cool affect on me which I’m sure the mushrooms appreciate. As everyone filed out of the harvesting area, our attention turned towards the hot grills.

Isn’t it going to taste like a normal mushroom? How do we know when it is done? Don’t we have to clean them first? Surprisingly, the mushrooms don’t have to be cleaned, we could cook it straight after cutting it. Following the instructions of Saito-san, I attentively twisted off the brown button and set it onto the hot charcoal grill. Next I split the stem, pulling it like string cheese, and placing that next to its former hat. My anticipation was through the roof. I stood there tapping my foot, counting the seconds, staring in awe at my mushrooms. They started sweating, almost looking nervous to be eaten, but that’s when you know that they are done. I picked them all up, ready to eat.

As recommended by Saito-san, I tried the first shiitake mushroom with just salt. It was earthy and meaty, like nature’s version of steak. The salt didn’t overpower, letting the mushroom’s natural umami shine through. I may or may not have closed my eyes dramatically while chewing.

I tried it with soy sauce next, where the saltiness deepened the savoriness, giving the shiitake a kind of rich, smoky-sweet edge. It felt like I was eating something way fancier than a freshly plucked mushroom.

A mild chili oil sauce was paired with my last one. The gentle heat played so well with the softness of the mushroom, like a little surprise kick at the end of an otherwise cozy experience. It was subtle, not overwhelming, and left me wanting another three. This was definitely my favorite.

After saying our goodbyes to Saito-san and getting on the returning train, the feeling lingered. The rich umami flavors, the earthy tones, and the warmness of the grilled shiitake stayed in my stomach like it wanted squatters rights. Sakura Mushroom Garden’s freshly grilled shiitake has raised the mushroom bar and standards for my taste buds. This should be the new normal for any mushroom.