At some time in the past. Unfortunately most of these have disappeared from our tables in the West except for grains and legumes. Not so on in many Asian countries, including Japan. A number of dried vegetables have survived to modern times and are eaten on a regular basis. Most of these aren't that readily available outside of Japan, but a few are. Of these, kiriboshi daikon (dried shredded daikon radish) and hoshi shiitake (dried shiitake mushrooms) are probably the most popular, and are usually on the shelves of Japanese grocery stores. If you have virtually any queries concerning in which and also tips on how to utilize manufacturer of shiitake mushroom extract powder as Raw Material for beverages, it is possible to contact us at our page. Both are very high in fiber and low in calories, and make great additions to various dishes. Dried shiitake mushrooms are a real powerhouse of flavor. When mushrooms are dried, the flavor gets concentrated and the texture changes - they're not an inferior version of the fresh kind, just different. Some people prefer dried shiitake to the fresh kind for cooking.

They have about 3.5 grams of fiber per 100 grams, plus iron, potassium and vitamins B1 and B2. 100 grams contains about 200 calories, but that's about 20 mushrooms! Shiitake can take a rather long time to reconstitute. What I do is to put a few in a jar or a plastic container with lid, fill it up with water, and put it in the refrigerator for later use. Soaked mushrooms stored like this can be used for a few days. The soaking liquid can be used as a stock in soups and so on. To use the shiitake, squeeze well and cut off the hard stem. The stems can be put back in the soaking liquid to extract more flavor out of them. The flavor of dried shiitake can vary a lot, so try to find a good brand and stick to it. Good dried shiitake should be very fragrant when you open the bag.

Kiriboshi daikon or dried, shredded daikon radish may be less familiar. White daikon radish is shredded into strips then dried (traditionally in the sun). The drying process brings out the sweetness, and concentrates the fiber and mineral content. 100 grams contains 6.6g of fiber and 94 mg of calcium, plus vitamins B1 and B12 and iron, with only about 20 calories. Since a good handful is enough for most recipes, it's almost no calories at all. It's rather smelly in its dried form, which can be rather off-putting, but the smell goes away once it's soaked and drained. It can be reconstituted either by soaking in cold water for about an hour then rinsed, or by blanching in boiling water for a couple of minutes. Drain away the soaking or blanching water and rinse before using. It's quite neutral in flavor, and takes on the flavors of whatever you cook it in or with like a sponge.

It's fairly easy to make your own kiriboshi daikon: just shred up a daikon into long strips, spread out on a basket and dry in the sun for a couple of days (easier in the summer of course), or in a food dehydrator if you have one. There are many other dried vegetables eaten in Japan. The one that you may have had already is kanpyo, or dried gourd strips. This is the brown, sweet stuff you see in some sushi rolls. Kanpyo is often sold pre-cooked in vacuum sealed foil or plastic packets. Besides as sushi rolls they are used for tying up little bags of aburaage (fried bean curd) filled with various things and so on. Do be aware though that the kanpyo used in sushi rolls is sweet because sugar is used in the cooking process. Other dried vegetables included dried greens such as komatsuna and dried chopped green onion. This is the most traditional and popular way to cook kiriboshi daikon.