[shee-ee-tah-key] 
| a large, meaty, black or dark brown mushroom, Lentinus edodes, native to eastern Asia and frequently used in Japanese and Chinese cookery. |
shi·i·ta·ke (shē-tä'kē, shē'ē-tä'kě)  (click for larger image in new window) n. pl. shiitake An edible eastern Asian mushroom (Lentinus edodes) having an aromatic, fleshy, golden or dark brown to blackish cap and an inedible tough stipe. Also called Chinese black mushroom, golden oak mushroom, Oriental black mushroom. [Japanese : shi, oak + take, mushroom.] |