The market · Mushrooms · East Asia
Dried shiitakes
Shiitake dried until leathery — far more savoury and smoky than fresh. They flavour Chinese braises, dumpling fillings and vegetarian dashi.
smoky · deeply savoury · meaty
What to do with it
Kenji Hara's Sourdough, 100% ryeDried shiitake would give it depthIbu Sari's Beef rendangDried shiitake would give it depthRosa Ibarra's Clarified milk punch, mezcal and pineappleDried shiitake would give it depthMira Kowalski's Pierogi ruskieDried shiitake would give it depth
MalaysianAyam pongtehA Nyonya braise of chicken and potato with fermented soybean paste, shallots, garlic and gula melaka — salty, sweet and dark.No one here has made it yetCantoneseSiu maiOpen-topped dumplings of pork and prawn in a thin yellow wrapper, steamed, and often dotted on top with fish roe or a little carrot.No one here has made it yetZhejiangBeggar's chickenA whole stuffed chicken wrapped in lotus leaves, sealed in clay or dough, and baked for hours until it falls from the bone.No one here has made it yetFujianBuddha jumps over the wallA banquet soup of abalone, sea cucumber, fish maw, scallops, meats and mushrooms, sealed in a jar with rice wine and simmered for hours.No one here has made it yetFujianBak changA pyramid of soy-darkened sticky rice wrapped in bamboo leaves round braised pork belly, mushroom, chestnut and salted egg yolk.No one here has made it yetAnhuiHuizhou one-potA deep iron pot layered with bamboo shoots, pork, fried tofu, egg dumplings and greens, simmered slowly and brought to the table whole.No one here has made it yetAnhuiLi Hongzhang hotchpotchA banquet mix of sea cucumber, fish maw, squid, ham, chicken, tofu and mushroom, simmered together in a good stock.No one here has made it yetYunnanSteam-pot chickenChicken cooked in a clay pot with a chimney at its centre, set over boiling water, so the steam gathers into a pure, clear broth.No one here has made it yet
Kinds
- Flower mushroom (huagu)
- Thick, with crackled caps — the best for braising whole.
- Thin-capped
- Cheaper; good for stock and slicing into fillings.
Goes with
Knowing it
- Where to buy
- Chinese and Japanese grocers. Thick caps that curl under are the best.
- Worth knowing
- Soak overnight in cold water in the fridge for the most flavour, and keep the soaking water for the sauce.
Kitchens that keep it in
Guangdong and Hong Kong, southern ChinaCantoneseThe cooking of Guangzhou and Hong Kong: very fresh things cooked briefly and seasoned lightly, so they taste of themselves.11 classicsZhejiang province, eastern ChinaZhejiangFresh, mellow and gently sweet: lake fish and river shrimp, young bamboo, cured ham and a good deal of Shaoxing wine, cooked to taste of themselves.7 classicsFujian province, south-eastern ChinaFujianThe cooking of China's south-eastern coast: clear soups, seafood, the sweet-sour red of fermented rice lees, and the street food the Hokkien carried across Asia.9 classicsAnhui province, eastern ChinaAnhuiMountain cooking from old Huizhou: bamboo shoots, mushrooms and cured things, braised long and dark, with a taste for the fermented — stinky fish and hairy tofu.8 classics
