Japan is one of the leading producers of shiitake mushrooms. These mushrooms are notoriously difficult to cultivate on a commercial scale — especially when using the 1,000yearold Japanese technique of woodgrown mushrooms. In the US, indoorgrown shiitake sells for upwards of $8 per pound, while forestgrown shiitakes have commanded a much higher price, up to $18 per pound. The most premium shiitake mushrooms are called white flower shiitake, and the forestgrown versions can sell for over $160 per pound. White flower shiitakes have noticeable white cracks on the caps and a strong flavor, but even just a few drops of rain can ruin them completely. Here's why forestgrown shiitake mushrooms are so expensive.

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00:00 Intro
01:15 Inoculation
02:58 Mushroom Hierarchy
04:28 Challenges
05:28 Artificial Log Yard
07:02 Sorting And Drying
09:36 Shiitake Market
10:31 Third Kingdom
12:28 Credits


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How Japan's Priciest Shiitake Mushrooms Fuel The $740 Million Global Shiitake Industry