In New Zealand, dried shiitake mushrooms (Lentinula edodes) are imported from China and sold in Asian food markets. They need 30 minutes’ soaking in warm water before being added to soups or stir-fries. Shiitake have chewy flesh and a slightly woody taste. The photo shows shiitake dried (front), after soaking (left), and sliced in a miso-based soup. A few growers in New Zealand supply fresh shiitake, grown in bags of sawdust and bran.