Cook with

Recipes with Mushroom

Shiitake and other mushrooms add deep, savoury umami to soups and stir-fries.

Mushrooms bring a deep, savoury, almost meaty quality to Asian cooking that few other vegetables can offer. From the silky enoki and the firm-capped shiitake to oyster and king mushrooms, they appear in broths, stir-fries and braises across the region, prized as much for their umami as their texture. Both fresh and dried forms have their place, and the dried versions in particular are a quiet source of profound flavour.

What it is and how it tastes

Mushrooms are fungi rather than plants, and their flavour leans savoury, earthy and umami-rich, deepening as they cook and lose their water. Shiitake are meaty and aromatic; oyster mushrooms are mild and tender; enoki are delicate, thread-like and slightly crunchy; king oyster mushrooms are firm enough to slice into thick, scallop-like rounds. Drying transforms them, concentrating their savouriness and, for shiitake especially, building new umami compounds that make them far more intense than fresh. This is why dried mushrooms and their fragrant soaking liquid are so valued for stocks, broths and braises across the region.

How to use it

Fresh mushrooms cook best over high heat in a hot, dry pan or wok so they brown rather than stew — crowding them releases water and leaves them limp and grey. Give them space, let them colour to a deep golden, then season once they have given up their moisture. Dried mushrooms must be soaked first in warm water for twenty to thirty minutes until pliable, then squeezed and sliced, with any tough stems trimmed away and the strained soaking liquid kept as a deeply savoury stock. They suit long-simmered braises, soups and broths where their concentrated flavour has time to infuse the whole pot, and they reward patience far more than speed.

Buying and storing

Choose fresh mushrooms that are firm and dry, not slimy or shrivelled, and store them in a paper bag in the fridge for up to a week. Dried mushrooms should look whole and smell fragrant; kept airtight in a cool cupboard they last many months, ready to soak whenever needed.

Where it shines and substitutes

Mushrooms enrich the broth of a hearty tonkotsu ramen, add savoury depth to japchae glass noodles, and bring body to a spicy mapo tofu. They also lend a meaty quality to vegetable-forward stir-fries and soups, standing in for richness where no meat is used. Where one type is unavailable, another firm mushroom usually substitutes well, with dried shiitake the reliable go-to for deep stock flavour. A jar of dried mushrooms in the cupboard is one of the easiest ways to add instant savoury depth to almost any pot. For more on the staples they sit beside, see the Asian pantry guide.

Mushroom recipes (2)

Bibimbap

Korean

Bibimbap

50 min Medium

A bowl of warm rice crowned with seasoned vegetables, beef and a fried egg, all bound together with a sweet-savoury gochujang sauce and a slick of sesame oil.

 Japchae

Korean

Japchae

50 min Medium

Glassy sweet-potato noodles tossed with beef and a rainbow of seasoned vegetables in a savoury-sweet soy and sesame dressing — Korea's beloved celebration

See also the Asian pantry guide for more on stocking these ingredients.

Mushroom: common questions

How do you rehydrate dried mushrooms?+

Cover dried mushrooms, such as shiitake, with warm water and leave them to soak for twenty to thirty minutes until soft and pliable, weighing them down if they float. Once softened, squeeze out the excess and slice away any tough stems. The soaking liquid is precious — full of deep, savoury flavour — so strain it through a fine sieve or cloth to remove grit and use it as a stock for the dish. Never discard it, as it carries much of the mushroom's umami.

Should mushrooms be washed before cooking?+

Fresh mushrooms are best brushed clean or wiped with a damp cloth rather than soaked, because they absorb water readily and can turn soggy and refuse to brown. If they are visibly gritty, a quick rinse under running water followed by a thorough pat dry does no harm. Dried mushrooms are different — they are soaked deliberately to rehydrate, and any grit settles out into the soaking liquid, which is then strained before use.

Why are dried shiitake more intense than fresh?+

Drying concentrates a mushroom's flavour and, in the case of shiitake, actually develops new savoury compounds that boost its umami well beyond the fresh version. The result is a deeper, almost meaty intensity that fresh shiitake cannot match, which is why dried ones are prized for stocks, broths and braises. The trade-off is a chewier texture and the need to soak first, but for background depth the dried form is often the better choice.

How should mushrooms be stored?+

Fresh mushrooms keep best in the fridge in a paper bag or their original ventilated packaging, which lets moisture escape so they do not turn slimy; they last around a week. Avoid sealing them in plastic, which traps damp. Dried mushrooms are far more forgiving: kept in an airtight jar in a cool, dark cupboard they last many months, making them a reliable pantry staple to reach for whenever deep savoury flavour is needed.