Author (mackshepperson). Submitted on Mon, 9 Jan 2012
Many mushrooms are very popular today as both food and alternative medicine. In Asia, they have been used for many centuries as a health supplement and as a cure for certain diseases. In the West, they are gaining popularity as a potent alternative in the fight against cancer, viruses, and other ailments. Today, the shiitake mushroom has its own booming industry dedicated to its cultivation. How it came to prominence as one of the most popular mushrooms on the planet today will be listed below.
The ancient Chinese knew about the medicinal properties of shiitake mushrooms and picked them in the wild. These were then dried for future use whenever someone got sick. Meanwhile, the Japanese went a step further and learned to cultivate shiitakes to grow a basically unlimited supply of mushrooms. They would place mushrooms on dead logs and let them grow until they were plentiful enough to harvest.
There are stories that, in feudal Japan, there would be wars aimed at plundering logs full of shiitake mushrooms. This was proof of the value of these mushrooms even before. Several other stories exist in Japan. In one, every newborn boy gets a small log with shiitake growing on it. When the boy reached maturity, he is expected get a small fortune from the log which would, by then, be filled with shiitake.
Legend has it, too, that the shiitake mushroom is a powerful aphrodisiac. This is especially true of "donko" shiitake mushrooms, which are generally regarded as the highest quality of shiitake available. These mushrooms may sell for up to $40 in the United States and even higher in Asia, where aphrodisiacs are usually in high demand. This may also be a reason for the growing popularity of people taking in shiitake mushroom extract.
The 1930s brought about the standardization of shiitake cultivation by the Japanese. They drilled holes into logs which were then planted with shiitake mushrooms and incubated until the mushrooms matured. These were then harvested during the spring and autumn seasons. This was the start of increasing refinement in cultivation procedures that brought about the creation of the shiitake mushroom extract people take today.
To conclude, one can see the popularity of shiitake mushrooms even a long time ago. Their growing popularity led to more demand, which prompted cultivators to refine their procedures in culturing more mushrooms. This is essentially a good thing, as more people can now enjoy the benefits of taking in shiitake mushroom extract for better health.
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