Types of Umami-Rich Mushrooms and Their Nutritional Benefits

For years, mushrooms have been a delicacy enjoyed by many. Not many individuals are aware that the savory taste of umami mushroom seasoning is usually because of their high glutamate content. Food rich in glutamate is usually known to have umami. This is because it’s the glutamate that’s responsible for the unique profile of umami. It’s worth mentioning that different mushrooms tend to have different levels of naturally occurring glutamate. Below is a list of various mushrooms and their glutamate content.

Shimeji Mushrooms

If you enjoy consuming food rich in taste, you should consider giving shimeji mushrooms a try. Known to have 140 mg of glutamate in every 100 grams, shimeji mushrooms is perfect for those trying to manage their diabetes, weight, and cholesterol levels. If you’re trying to avoid cancer, microbial-caused infections, and inflammations, these mushrooms are perfect for you.

Enoki Mushrooms

In case you don’t know how to identify enoki mushrooms, they are small mushrooms with long and very thin mushroom stalks. They also have small button caps. Also referred to as seafood mushrooms, these delicious mushrooms are often featured in Japanese cuisine dishes and soups. It is commonly used because it tends to increase the umami in dishes it features. In every 100 grams of enoki mushrooms, there exists a glutamate content of 90 mg. Apart from these mushrooms’ high glutamate content, they also boast of containing various vital minerals such as iron, phosphorus, copper, and vitamins such as vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, and vitamin B5.

Going by its high nutrient content, it’s quite evident that enoki mushrooms are quite beneficial to their consumers. Consumers of these beloved mushrooms usually enjoy benefits such as an improved immune system, increased metabolism, balanced sugar levels, minimized chances of developing allergies, and improved mental development. Given that these mushrooms are immensely beneficial, you should consider adding them to the list of regular foods you consume.

Shiitake Mushrooms

Shiitake mushrooms are Japan’s most renowned mushrooms. Cooked while fresh or dried, these remarkable mushrooms have quite a high glutamate content. It’s worth mentioning that when dried, their glutamate content usually increases. This increase can be attributed to the fact that the drying allows for the glutamate concentration present in the mushrooms. In every 100 grams of fresh shiitake mushrooms, there exists 70 mg of glutamate, whereas, in every 100 grams of dried shiitake mushrooms, there exists 1060 mg of glutamate. This being the case, if you’d like to increase the glutamate content of your shiitake mushrooms before cooking them, you should let them dry.

Shiitake mushrooms are not only delicious, but they also accord their consumers a number of health and beauty benefits. If you regularly consume these mushrooms, you can expect to enjoy benefits such as improved skin, weight loss, young-looking and healthy hair, and improved immune functionality. Judging by these mushrooms’ great benefits, it’s more than appropriate to say that consistently eating shiitake mushrooms would be a wise move.

Safeguard your health. Eat umami-rich mushrooms.