shiitake

American  

[shee-ee-tah-key] / ˌʃi iˈtɑ keɪ /

noun

plural

shiitake

1. a large, meaty, black or dark brown mushroom, Lentinula edodes (orLentinus edodes ), native to eastern Asia and frequently used in Japanese and Chinese cuisine.

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shiitake British  

/ ˌʃɪɪˈtɑːkeɪ /

noun

1. a kind of mushroom widely used in Oriental cookery

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Etymology

Origin of shiitake

First recorded in 1875–80; from Japanese, equivalent to shii “oak” + take “mushroom”

Example Sentences

They order $18 mezcal cocktails infused with shiitake mushrooms, red onion and jalapeño herb oil.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

To test their capabilities, researchers grew samples of shiitake and button mushrooms.

From Science Daily • Oct. 26, 2025

Crispy, crunchy fried shiitake mushrooms are piled high on a bed of shallot chilli butter, which sits on a crunch roll.

From Salon • May 28, 2024

The same braise is used for the semi-firm tofu, but with one important addition: dried shiitake mushrooms, which give the fried bean curds a kind of umami immediacy.

From Washington Post • Apr. 10, 2023

The Japanese are very successful in cultivating a mushroom which they call "Shiitake" or "Lepiota shiitake."

From Student's Hand-book of Mushrooms of America, Edible and Poisonous by Taylor, Thomas