Deidre came to visit the other day, hugging an armload of gifts, including her newest find at Costco: Snak Yard Shiitake Mushrooms. What a treat: no artificial ingredients, all natural, and non GMO. They're lightly cooked and seasoned with sea salt, maltose, sustainable palm oil, yeast extract, spices and natural flavor. At $7.99 for 7 ounces ($1.07 an ounce), they are not inexpensive but they are a tasty curiosity. We both agreed that the mushrooms reminded us of popcorn, or maybe we thought of popcorn because, like popcorn, you just can't eat one of these Shiitakes!
There are competing brands of snack Shiitakes. For example, Amazon sells DJ&A Shiitakes, but I haven't tasted them.
This all sounds so good and is very intriguing: the product has a pleasant flavor, is affordable, and is eye catching ... so what could be wrong. For me, the caution is "Lightly Cooked." Steven and I grew up in the Puget Sound Mycological Society whose mantra is "never eat a raw mushroom." The North American Mycological Society as well as other mycological organizations all recommend that without exception mushrooms be well cooked, including Shiitakes.
Sadly, it is reported that about 4% of the population has a food sensitivity to Shiitakes. Often with each subsequent event involving Shiitakes, the reaction becomes more severe. Furthermore, it's important to remember that sometimes the first encounter does not produce an allergic reaction. Or, maybe not even the second. But, like with my husband, Steven, the allergic reaction may come on quite unexpectedly and unpleasantly in the most inconvenient of places.
Sure, you must chose for yourself, to eat or not to eat the raw or lightly cooked mushrooms. It certainly is a personal choice. It's not one that I can make, and I feel duty bound, mushroomer to mushroomer, to share my concerns about this product.