The shiitake (Lentinula edodes) is an umbrella-capped wood-rotting mushroom native to the mountain forests of East Asia, and after the button mushroom it is the most widely cultivated edible fungus on Earth. Its tan to dark-brown cap, often cracked into a pale cream lattice, sits on a tough, fibrous stem over cream-coloured gills. Fresh, it is meaty, springy and gently savoury with a soft woodland aroma; dried and rehydrated, it becomes one of the most intensely umami foods in the kitchen, with a deep, almost garlicky sulfur-savoury smell. It anchors the dashi, stir-fries, braises and hot pots of Japanese, Chinese and Korean cooking and is the backbone of countless vegetarian stocks.