Maker · Vegetables
Eko Shii-take
Organic shiitake from Overloon, grown on wood substrate without chemicals. Picked in the morning, at your door a day later. Firmer flesh, deeper umami and available year-round.
The story
Who's behind it
Fer Aerts started in 1998 in Overloon with oyster mushrooms and built Eko Shii-take into a fully organic nursery. Core team of eleven plus a quality manager. They grow year-round, so you're not locked into a season or an import flight. Alongside shiitake and mini shiitake now come shimeji, nameko and coral mushroom, the expansion Fer has been investing in the past few years. For you that means: one grower, multiple varieties, same standard.
What really sets it apart
The mushrooms grow on wood substrate, without artificial fertiliser and without chemical pesticides. You taste and feel this on the plate. A wood-grown shiitake has firmer flesh and deeper umami than bulk from large-scale cultivation, and it collapses less quickly in the pan. The nursery is certified by SKAL Biocontrole (024840, NL-BIO-01) and carries, alongside the EKO mark, also GLOBALG.A.P., GRASP and Fair Produce. The latter mark speaks to fair labour, something you can mention on a menu.
The second difference is freshness. What is picked in the morning lands with you a day later. For a product that loses moisture quickly, that's exactly the difference between a firm cap that colours beautifully and a limp one that only stews. Overloon is in North Brabant, no days-long supply chain from Poland or China in between.
How to set yourself apart with this
Put the origin on the menu: organic shiitake from Overloon tells more than just mushrooms. Use the whole mushroom. The caps you fry dry and hot for colour and bite, the stems you steep into dashi or broth, so you get two dishes from one purchase and keep your food cost low.
Play with the expansion. Vary your dish with the seasons: shiitake as base, shimeji for structure, king oyster grilled as a full main component for your plant-based guests. Because Eko Shii-take harvests year-round, you can keep such a dish on the menu without hassle over availability.
Want to taste what freshly picked really means, ask for a sample shiitake alongside your current stock and fry them side by side. You'll see the difference in moisture and colour within two minutes in the pan.
Chef’s tip
Fry shiitake dry and hot in a wide pan until moisture has evaporated and edges colour. Only then add butter or oil. Don't throw away the stems: steep them for an hour in stock or dashi for a dark, savoury base.
How to use it
Ideas for your menu
Sautéed shiitake with garlic, soy butter and spring onion
Dashi from shiitake stems as base for umami broth
Grilled king oyster mushroom as meat alternative on the table
Mushroom ragout on toasted sourdough
For your menu
“Organic shiitake from Eko Shii-take, Overloon. Grown on wood substrate, picked in the morning.”
Taste it in your own kitchen
Book a no-obligation tasting with Niels. No contract, just tasting.