Japanese shiitake mushrooms 8.6 million/kg still attract customers

Japanese shiitake mushrooms are being sold at some clean food stores for up to 8.6 million VND/kg but are still bought by many people to enjoy.

Japanese shiitake mushrooms are being sold at some organic food stores for up to 8.6 million VND/kg. However, many people still buy this type of mushroom simply to have a plate of stir-fried vegetables with shiitake mushrooms, tofu with mushroom sauce or as a spice in stewed chicken dishes...

Shiitake mushrooms, also known as Dong Co mushrooms, have been used as a food or spice for hundreds of years. In the market today, shiitake mushrooms are sold quite commonly from fresh mushrooms to dried mushrooms.

Accordingly, prices are also quite different depending on each type and also depending on their origin. For example, dried shiitake mushrooms cost from 180,000-450,000 VND/kg depending on the type, fresh Chinese shiitake mushrooms cost 90,000 VND/kg, fresh Vietnamese shiitake mushrooms cost about 170,000 VND/kg.

Shiitake mushrooms, also known as Dong Co mushrooms, are sold quite commonly on the market today, from fresh mushrooms to dried mushrooms.

In addition to the dried and fresh shiitake mushrooms from China and Vietnam that are commonly sold in the market, recently, food stores have also been selling shiitake mushrooms from Japan at prices up to 8.5-8.6 million VND/kg. Notably, although their price is among the most expensive of all edible mushrooms sold in Vietnam, Japanese shiitake mushrooms are still a very popular item.

Mr. Nguyen Van Quang, owner of a clean food store in Tay Son (Dong Da, Hanoi) said that yesterday, although it was still a holiday, 120 boxes of Japanese mushrooms that had just arrived at the store were cleaned by customers within 30 minutes.

Mr. Quang shared that the shiitake mushroom products in Japan look similar to those in Vietnam, however, they are different in the growing process. The Japanese do not grow shiitake mushrooms in mushroom spawn bags, but they drill holes and implant mushroom spawn on oak logs with the aim of ensuring that the shiitake mushrooms grow and develop new varieties in the most natural environment.

In Japan, there is a vast oak forest in Oita prefecture (Southern Japan), which is famous for growing shiitake mushrooms. However, because they are grown on oak, the mushroom yield is not high, but in return, the quality of shiitake mushrooms is equivalent to that of mushrooms harvested in the wild. That is also the reason why the price of oak shiitake mushrooms is always among the most expensive mushrooms.

Many families buy Japanese mushrooms to stir-fry and cook dishes.

Compared to dried shiitake mushrooms sold on the market, Japanese shiitake mushrooms are about 13-47 times more expensive depending on the type. That is, 1kg of shiitake mushrooms currently costs nearly 8.6 million VND, and if bought by the box, the price is 1.2 million VND/box weighing about 140 grams.

According to Mr. Quang, although they are expensive, more expensive than Vietnamese termite mushrooms, the number of customers buying shiitake mushrooms is still very stable and is increasing. When the Japanese shiitake mushrooms were first imported, the store only sold less than 60 boxes per week. Now, the shiitake mushrooms are still shipped to the store once a week, but they are sold out as soon as they arrive, and the amount of imported goods has doubled compared to the time when they first started selling.

Meanwhile, in Ho Chi Minh City, premium Japanese shiitake mushrooms are also quite popular despite the fact that they are sold at stores for up to VND8.5 million.

Ms. Yen Nhi, owner of a high-end clean food store in Binh Thanh (HCMC), said that Oita mushrooms originating from the land of the rising sun are currently a type of mushroom that is bought a lot by the rich.

“Unlike fresh fruits, canned dried Japanese mushrooms are easy to preserve and are always available in stores,” she said, adding that customers who buy them as gifts usually buy 1-2 boxes, while customers who buy them for food usually buy 4-5 boxes because these mushrooms can be kept for a long time without worrying about them going moldy or spoiled.

Admitting that although the price of Japanese shiitake mushrooms is expensive, Ms. Pham Nhu Thao in Trieu Viet Vuong (Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi) shared that almost every week she orders two boxes of shiitake mushrooms to eat.

“Shiitake mushrooms are not only delicious but also nutritious, rich in nutrients, and can prevent many diseases, especially cancer. In particular, mushrooms do not require elaborate preparation. You can use them to stir-fry with vegetables, make soup, stew with chicken or make seafood spring rolls… all delicious,” said Ms. Thao.

According to Ms. Thao, this type of mushroom can be used as both food and spice, but in the current market, Chinese mushrooms are often disguised as Vietnamese mushrooms; she cannot distinguish between Vietnamese and Chinese products, so she chooses to buy Japanese mushrooms for peace of mind./.

According to VNN