Shiitake 3782 – (Lentinula edodes)

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Shiitake 3782: The Commercial Workhorse

Strain 3782 is one of the most popular commercial Shiitake lines in the world. Known for its fast colonization, reliable pinning, and dense flushes, this strain is perfect for both large-scale production and hobby growers. It produces thick, meaty caps with wide margins and an attractive brown surface that cracks beautifully under certain conditions (forming the sought-after “donko” or cracked-cap style).

Cooks value Shiitake 3782 for its rich, smoky, umami-packed flavor and versatility in almost any dish. Cultivators value it because it’s robust, aggressive on supplemented sawdust, and consistent—one of the few strains that has been field-proven across decades and continents.

As always, produced with love and a touch of southern hospitality. 😉
Our spawn begins with organically grown milo grain and expands into hardwood sawdust supplemented with bran or soy hulls for dense block colonization and heavy flushes.

🍄 Shiitake 3782: Comprehensive Profile

Overview

• Common Name: Shiitake

• Scientific Name: Lentinula edodes

• Strain: 3782

• Family: Omphalotaceae

• Ecological Role: Saprotroph (hardwood decomposer)

• Habitat: Hardwood logs and sawdust substrates

• Distribution: Originally from East Asia; now cultivated globally

🔬 Taxonomy

RankClassificationDomainEukaryotaKingdomFungiPhylumBasidiomycotaClassAgaricomycetesOrderAgaricalesFamilyOmphalotaceaeGenusLentinulaSpeciesL. edodesStrain3782

🧬 Morphological Characteristics

Fruiting Body:

• Cap: 5–10 cm, brown to dark brown, scaly surface, often cracking into white-fleshed patterns in cool/dry conditions

• Stem: Thick, fibrous, white to light brown

• Gills: White, crowded, turning slightly yellowish with age

• Flesh: Firm, meaty, intensely aromatic

• Spore Print: White

Texture/Flavor:

• Rich umami, smoky/garlic notes, excellent for broths and pan-frying

🌍 Ecology & Distribution

• Native to East Asia; cultivated for over 1,000 years

• Prefers oak, beech, chestnut logs in the wild

• Commercially grown on hardwood sawdust + bran/soy hull blocks worldwide

🌿 Distinguishing Features

• vs other Shiitake strains: 3782 is known for vigorous colonization, consistent flushes, and reliable pinning

• vs wild strains: More uniform, heavier yields, fruits well on artificial blocks

• vs Shiitake 75: 3782 is more consistent; 75 tends to be slower and more temperamental but can produce heavier caps

⚕️ Culinary & Nutritional Potential

Culinary:

• Excellent in stir-fries, soups, broths, grilled, roasted, or sautéed

• Caps dry well, concentrating flavor

• Stems are fibrous but great for stock

Nutritional/Medicinal:

• High in protein, fiber, and B-vitamins

• Contains lentinan (β-glucan) with immune-modulating properties

• Linked to cholesterol reduction and antiviral effects

⚠️ Toxicity / Edibility

• Fully edible; highly regarded

• Rarely, raw Shiitake may cause “Shiitake dermatitis” in sensitive individuals → always cook before eating

📸 Cultivation Notes

• Substrate: Hardwood sawdust with bran/soy hulls

• Spawn Run: 2–3 weeks on grain; 4–8 weeks on sawdust blocks

• Fruiting Conditions:

  • Temp: 55–70°F (12–21°C); cooler temps encourage cracked caps

  • Humidity: 85–95%

  • Fresh Air: Requires strong FAE to form proper caps

• Yield: High; blocks typically flush multiple times over 8–12 weeks

• Notes: Known as a “fast strain”; fruits more aggressively than most traditional log strains

📚 Historical & Cultural Notes

• Shiitake cultivation dates back to at least the Song Dynasty (960–1279 CE) in China

• Still one of the top 3 most cultivated mushrooms in the world

• Strain 3782 is widely distributed in commercial spawn catalogs due to reliability

✅ Summary: Key Points on Shiitake 3782

• Fast, aggressive commercial strain

• Reliable pinning and multiple flushes

• Produces thick, meaty, cracked brown caps

• Strong umami flavor, highly versatile in cooking

• Global standard strain for commercial and hobby growers