Maker Β· Vegetables
Eko Shii-take
Organic shiitake from Overloon, grown on wood substrate. Picked in the morning, at your door a day later. Firm flesh, plenty of 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. Alongside shiitake and mini shiitake now come shimeji, nameko and coral mushroom, the expansion Fer has been investing in the past few years.
Grown on wood
The mushrooms grow organically on wood substrate. A wood-grown shiitake has firm flesh, plenty of umami and holds its shape 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. Fair Produce covers fair labour, and you can put that on the menu.
What is picked in the morning reaches you a day later. Shiitake loses moisture quickly, so this keeps the cap firm and lets it colour well in the pan. Overloon is in North Brabant.
In your kitchen
Put the origin on the menu: organic shiitake from Overloon. 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.
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, a dish like that can stay on the menu all year.
Ask for a sample of shiitake and fry it side by side with your current stock. You'll see the difference in moisture and colour within two minutes in the pan.
Chefβs tip
Fry shiitake dry and hot in a wide pan until moisture has evaporated and edges colour. Only then add butter or oil. Steep the stems for an hour in stock or dashi for a dark, savoury base.
How to use it
Ideas for your menu
SautΓ©ed 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
βOrganic shiitake from Eko Shii-take, Overloon. Grown on wood substrate, picked in the morning.β
Products from Eko Shii-take
What we carry from this maker
Prices and availability are in the portal. Become a customer or log in to order.
Taste it in your own kitchen
Book a no-obligation tasting with Niels and taste it for yourself.