The effect of Guanylate, unique to dried shiitake mushrooms, thickens the natural umami of each of the other ingredients.
Using shiitake powder leaves particles in the dish, but stem broth is liquid, so it looks beautiful and deepens the umami evenly throughout the dish.
Of course, you can use 10 g of dried shiitake mushrooms and 1 liter of water, not just the stems.
You can quickly rehydrate the dried shiitake mushrooms by folding the stems and sinking them into water. This recipe makes good use of the leftover stems.
Shiitake stock should always be heated and cooked.
Pro tip.
The enzymes that reduce Guanylate work well at temperatures between 10-40°C (50-104°F).
For this reason, soaking dried shiitake mushrooms in water at temperatures lower than 10°C and slowly rehydrating them in the refrigerator overnight will maximize the amount of Guanylate.
When the soaking temperature is close to 0°C (32°F), the umami taste is maximized, and sweetness is produced.
After slowly rehydrating in cold water, the shiitake stock can be heated to further increase its umami.
Enzymes that increase Guanylate is activated at temperatures between 50 - 75°C (122-167°F).
The most efficient way to increase Guanylate is to heat the shiitake stock to 75°C over high heat, turn it off, and leave it for 10 minutes.
The reason for heating on high heat is to pass the temperature range 10-40°C, which reduces Guanylate, in the shortest possible time.
You can make it easier by bringing it to a boil over high heat, then turning it off and letting it cool.
The taste will be clearer if you strain the shiitake stock through a tea strainer to remove fine particles before heating.
Dried Shiitake mushrooms should be rehydrated in cold water to make them sweeter and tastier without any messy taste.
How to Rehydrate Dried Shiitake Mushrooms for Maximum Flavor
