Shiitake
Rich, savory mushrooms for family dishes. Store-bought, stems off, cooked well and chopped small.
Checked against official guidance on October 18, 2026 · How we review
Quick answer
Babies can eat shiitake from around 6 months, once they show signs of being ready for solids. Prepare it as shown below.
How to serve shiitake by age
6 months+
Finely chopped and mixed into soft foods
Remove the stems, then cook the caps thoroughly until soft all the way through. Chop them very finely or blend them, and stir into mashed potato, lentils, risotto or a smooth sauce. Serve on a pre-loaded spoon.
- Size
- Cooked, then very finely chopped or blended and mixed into a mash, purée or sauce.
- Check before serving
- Look for any large or rubbery pieces. If you see any, chop or blend it again.
US and UK advice differ here. The AAP suggests mashed food or soft pieces no larger than ½ inch; the NHS suggests soft finger-sized pieces your baby can hold in their fist. Both agree the food must squash easily.
9 months+
Small soft pieces
Slice the cooked caps thinly, then chop into small pieces. Mix into rice, noodles, pasta or scrambled egg (once egg has been introduced), or offer the small pieces as finger food.
- Size
- Pieces no bigger than about 1 cm (just under ½ inch), sliced thin.
- Check before serving
- Squash a piece between your thumb and finger. It should squash easily. If it feels rubbery or springs back, cook it longer or chop it smaller.
12 months+
Chopped or in family dishes
Serve chopped, well-cooked shiitake in family meals: stir-fries, soups, noodles, fried rice or omelets. Keep taking the stems off, and keep soy sauce and other salty sauces for the adults' portions.
- Size
- Small soft pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).
- Check before serving
- Still do the squash test: chewy pieces should be chopped smaller.
18 months+
Cooked, chopped or sliced in dishes
Keep serving shiitake cooked until soft and cut small. Whole caps, thick slices and long strips are chewy and slippery, so cut them down to about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).
- Size
- Bite-sized pieces or short, thin slices about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).
- Check before serving
- Still check that pieces squash easily and aren't rubbery.
Always have your child sit upright in a high chair or at the table, and stay with them the whole time they eat. Keep to the size and texture for their stage. Every baby develops on their own timeline.
How to prepare shiitake
- 1
Buy shiitake from a store or market. Never use wild mushrooms you've picked yourself.
- 2
Rinse them under running water just before cooking, gently rubbing off any dirt. Pull or cut off the stems: they stay tough even after cooking.
- 3
Slice the caps thinly and sauté in a little oil, or simmer in a sauce or soup, until soft, shrunken and hot all the way through. Don't serve them raw or lightly cooked, and don't add salt.
- 4
Let them cool, then chop finely (6 months) or into small pieces (9 months+). Do the squash test before serving.
How much to offer
Start with a teaspoon or so of chopped cooked shiitake mixed into a familiar food. Your baby decides how much to eat: stop when they turn away or close their mouth. Lots of picking out and dropping is normal at first.
Common mistakes
Serving it raw or undercooked
Raw or undercooked shiitake can cause shiitake dermatitis, an itchy rash of red streaks that looks like scratch marks. Cook it thoroughly, until soft and hot all the way through.
Using wild or foraged mushrooms
Poisonous mushrooms can look like edible ones, and cooking doesn't remove their toxins. The CDC says wild mushrooms should never be eaten unless an expert has identified them. For a baby, stick to store-bought mushrooms.
Leaving the stems on
Shiitake stems are tough and woody, even when cooked. Remove them and use only the caps.
Stopping after a few refusals
Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering a little, alongside foods they already like.
Questions parents ask
Can shiitake be a choking hazard for babies?
Cooked shiitake can be chewy and slippery, and the stems stay tough. Remove the stems, cook the caps until soft, and chop them small or blend them for young babies. Never serve wild or foraged mushrooms. Stay with your child during meals.
Can babies be allergic to shiitake?
Shiitake is not a common allergen. Raw or undercooked shiitake can cause shiitake dermatitis: itchy red streaks or small bumps in lines, like whip marks, usually starting 1 to 3 days after eating them. Doctors think it's a reaction to lentinan, a substance in shiitake that heat breaks down. It's rare, and mild cases clear up within several days. Most reported cases followed raw or undercooked shiitake, so always cook it thoroughly. One case report says lentinan is only broken down above 145°C (293°F), which is hotter than simmering, so thorough cooking lowers the risk but isn't a guarantee.
Is shiitake healthy for babies?
A source of copper: cooked shiitake has about 900 mcg per 100 g, and babies 7–12 months need 220 mcg a day. It has some iron, but not enough to count as an iron-rich food.
Can babies eat shiitake mushrooms?
Yes, from around 6 months, if they're store-bought, the stems are removed, and the caps are cooked thoroughly until soft, then chopped finely or blended into food.
What is shiitake dermatitis?
An itchy rash of red streaks, like scratch marks, that can appear 1 to 3 days after eating raw or undercooked shiitake. It's rare and usually clears up within several days. Cooking shiitake thoroughly lowers the risk, but one case report says the substance linked to the rash only breaks down above 145°C (293°F), hotter than simmering, so it isn't a guarantee. If your child gets a rash like this, call your pediatrician and mention the mushrooms.
Can I use dried shiitake?
Yes. Soak them in water until soft, cut off the stems, then cook the caps thoroughly, for example simmered in a soup or sauce, until soft and hot all the way through. Soaking alone isn't cooking. Chop them small before serving.
Can babies eat shiitake stems?
It's best not to. They stay tough and woody even after long cooking. Use only the caps for your baby.
What if my child eats a mushroom growing outside?
Get help right away, even if they seem fine: symptoms of poisoning can take hours or days to start. In the US, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222, or 911 if your child is unconscious, not breathing or having a seizure. In the UK, the NHS says to call 999 or go to A&E if you think a child has swallowed something harmful. Take a piece of the mushroom with you if you can.
If your baby refuses shiitake
- Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
- Blend it into a sauce or mix it into risotto or congee, where the texture is less noticeable.
- Eat some yourself at the same meal. Babies copy what they see.
- Funny faces don't mean they dislike it. They're getting used to a new taste and texture.
Never force or pressure your baby to eat. Some days they'll eat more, some days less, and that's normal.
Buying and storing shiitake
- Keep fresh shiitake in the fridge, at or below 40°F (4°C). Keep dried shiitake in a sealed container in a cool, dry place.
- Cooked shiitake keeps for 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge. Rice dishes are the exception: cool them within 1 hour, keep them in the fridge for no more than 1 day, and reheat them only once.
- Cooked, chopped shiitake can be frozen and used within 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge, use it within 24 hours of thawing, and reheat it only once, to 165°F (74°C), until steaming hot, then let it cool before serving.
- Throw away any food left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours (1 hour if it's hotter than 90°F / 32°C).
When to talk to your doctor
Contact your pediatrician, GP or health visitor if:
- Your child gets an itchy rash of red streaks or lines, like scratch marks, 1 to 3 days after eating shiitake. This can be shiitake dermatitis. Call your pediatrician and tell them about the mushrooms, and don't offer shiitake again until you've talked to them. If there is swelling of the face, lips or tongue, trouble breathing or swallowing, or your child seems very unwell, call your emergency number.
- You notice mild signs of an allergic reaction after eating, such as a few hives or a little vomiting. See signs of a reaction.
- You're worried about how much your baby eats, their growth, or they refuse most solid food for weeks.
Call 911999your local emergency number (such as 112 in Europe or 000 in Australia) now if your baby has trouble breathing, wheezing, can't cough or cry, has lips, mouth, tongue or throat that suddenly swell, or becomes pale, bluish, floppy or unresponsive. Also call if hives come with repeated vomiting.
Offered shiitake?
Add it to your first 100 foods.
Shiitake is in your 100 foods
1 of 100 offered · See all
Add a note (likes, dislikes, any reaction)
Saved in this browser only. Think it was a reaction? See signs of an allergic reaction and when to get help.
Helpful guides
Sources
- Diagnostics: Flagellate dermatitis induced by shiitake mushrooms (2026)
- Contact Dermatitis: Shiitake dermatitis, first report from Turkey (2025)
- CDC MMWR: Accidental poisonous mushroom ingestions, United States, 2016–2018
- AAP: Poison prevention and treatment tips for parents
- NHS: Poisoning
- CDC: Choking hazards
- NHS: Your baby's first solid foods
- USDA FoodData Central: Mushrooms, shiitake, cooked, without salt
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Copper
- FDA: 7 tips for cleaning fruits and vegetables
- USDA FSIS: Leftovers and food safety
- NHS Best Start in Life: Storing and reheating food
More first foods
Free printable: The First 100 Foods checklist
Tick off foods as your baby tries them. Print it or save it as a PDF, no sign-up needed.