Dried Pyogo (shiitake) mushrooms
are preferred over fresh ones in Korean cooking as they are more intense in
flavor and taste. To top it off, dried ones are more beneficial as the
sun-drying process breaks down proteins into amino acids and transforms ergosterol into vitamin D;
both amino acids and vitamin D are known to exhibit antioxidant and anticancer
activities, help prevent osteoporosis and promote the bone growth. The
dried pyogo is very low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. It is also a
good source of vitamin B6, folate, magnesium, potassium, zinc and manganese,
and a very good source of riboflavin (or vitamin B2), niacin,
pantothenic acid, copper and selenium. (Click here for details.)
Due to the sun-drying
process, this food is also loaded with (i) lecithin that is known to have
significant effects on lowering cholesterol and triglycerides while increasing
HDL ("good cholesterol") levels in the blood, (ii) retinol (or vitamin
A) that is known to help suppress the cancer cell growth, (iii) lenthionine
that is partly responsible for the flavor of pyogo and known to help lower
cholesterol, inhibit blood clotting, and clear mental confusion by flushing the
toxins from your system, and (iv) dietary fiber that helps prevent colon
cancer.
I always have dried
pyogo mushrooms handy in my freezer to make MSG-free soup anytime I want. Some are ground separately in a blender and
stored separately in a jar. Some are
stored in zipper bags as is, or used in cooking right way after reconstituting.
Dried pyogo is commonly used in Korean cooking: jeon, jjigae (찌개, “Korean-style
stew”), gui (구이, “grill”), or jorim (조림, “braising”). You may substitute any other kinds of
mushrooms for it but why don’t you give it a try for its unique flavor and
taste called gamchil mat (감칠 맛, “a fifth basic taste together with sweet, sour,
bitter, and salty”) and its health benefits?
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