Shiitake is a fungus that has become the third most consumed fungus in Spain in just a few decades and it has a very interesting projection ahead, stated Jose Ramon Abad, of Shii-take Rioja SL.
“I remember that in 1992, the year of the Barcelona Olympics, some Coca-Cola operators that were on a cruise that stopped at the Port of the city approached Mercabarna in search of shiitake. In Spain, we had dedicated ourselves to growing Pleurotus and mushrooms. We had not worked with shiitake, the second most cultivated mushroom in the world."
A few months later Jose Ramon became a pioneer of Shiitake cultivation in Spain after managing to bring the formula to make the substrate from the United States and start cultivating it. "However, back in 94, selling them was a real odyssey. Selling 50 kilos a week was quite an achievement; now, 5 to 6 thousand kilos are marketed in Spain each week."
The difference in consumption regarding other cultivated mushrooms is still remarkable; Spain currently consumes some 140 million kilos of mushrooms and 12 to 13 million kilos of Pleurotus, but the consumption of shiitake is increasing throughout Europe. "In the Eastern countries, in particular, we see that its consumption is steadily increasing," Jose Ramon Abad stressed.
"The mushroom started to be marketed 70 years ago and it has developed a large market. The shiitake will most probably not reach the same level of mushroom consumption after 70 years in the market because of its high price, but its marketed volume will be very high."
There is no denying that the consumption of fungi grown in Spain is led by mushrooms, which are paid at 4 to 5 euro in origin, but shiitake prices triple the price of mushrooms and double that of Pleurotus, achieving the highest price among the most consumed fungi.
"We also wanted to give shiitake production a twist and we specialize in organic farming. Right now production stands at about 150-200 tons per year and we are in the main national organic product chains. Currently, all provinces in Spain produce ecological shiitake, and little by little, it is beginning to reach large areas."
The largest organic shiitake producers in Spain
The restaurant sector helped to boost knowledge of shiitake in Europe and this fungus is now very much appreciated for its culinary properties and its beneficial properties, which have made it an interesting bioactive ingredient. “Today, Spanish shiitake are exported to Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, France, Germany, Portugal, and the United Kingdom. When I started growing shiitake, this mushroom was imported from China. Transporting it by plane was very expensive, so they brought it by boat preserved in different preservatives. The import of shiitake with preservatives was banned after authorities detected samples with high levels of formaldehyde -a toxic compound-, so now all of the shiitake imported is dried," stated the manager of Shii-take Rioja SL, which is based in the municipality of Autol.
"Spanish companies have all the quality and safety certifications: Global GAP, ISO, IFS... In addition, the Health and Phytosanitary authorities maintain strict control of the sector. In addition, starting January 1, 2023, Spanish producers will not be able to simultaneously cultivate the same organic and conventional species or fungi varieties, which will help to professionalize farmers and organic producers."
“We started growing organic shiitake 20 years ago, in 2003. In fact, Shii-take Rioja S.L. is currently the largest producer of organic shiitake in Spain."
For more information:
Shii-take Rioja S.L.
C/Cabezuelos, S/N
26560 La Rioja, España
Tel.: +34 941 401 186
administracion@shii-takerioja.es
https://shiitakerioja.com