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 1,000-year-old Japanese technique of wood-grown mushrooms. In the US, indoor-grown shiitake sells for upwards of $8 per pound, while forest-grown shiitakes have commanded a much higher price, up to $18 per pound. The most premium shiitake mushrooms are called white flower shiitake, and the forest-grown 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 forest-grown 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