# How much should I expect to pay for shiitake mushrooms? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 9, 2015, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-should-i-expect-to-pay-for-shiitake-mushrooms/712202 "2015-02-09T08:00:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-should-i-expect-to-pay-for-shiitake-mushrooms/712202/1 "2015-02-09T08:00:34Z")
There’s a recipe I want to try that uses 10 oz. of shiitakes. Trouble is, my local food source (a major market) doesn’t have loose shiitakes — only prepackaged, which cost $18/lb. What SHOULD I expect to pay for them? Any suggestions on sources? I’m not hugely inclined to grow my own, especially if such kits are themselves expensive, but I acknowledge that’s an option. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-should-i-expect-to-pay-for-shiitake-mushrooms/712202/2 "2015-02-09T09:37:53Z")
$18 a pound is outrageous for shiitakes. That’s more than some wild mushrooms. I have seen them locally for around $6 to $7 a pound, sold loose. Do you have an Asian market like 99 Ranch near you? That’s probably the best place to look for them. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Charlie\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-should-i-expect-to-pay-for-shiitake-mushrooms/712202/3 "2015-02-09T14:10:39Z")
Before or after the shiit is washed off? j/k 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Askthepizzaguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askthepizzaguy/32/9405_2.png) [@Askthepizzaguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askthepizzaguy)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-should-i-expect-to-pay-for-shiitake-mushrooms/712202/4 "2015-02-09T15:44:04Z")
\*\*How much should I expect to pay for shiitake mushrooms? \*\*Answer: A shiit load. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-should-i-expect-to-pay-for-shiitake-mushrooms/712202/5 "2015-02-09T16:08:15Z")
> [@Charlie\_Wayne](#): > > Before or after the shiit is washed off? > > j/k 🙂 Could we cut it out with the shiity jokes? ---
**Author:** ![Askthepizzaguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askthepizzaguy/32/9405_2.png) [@Askthepizzaguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askthepizzaguy)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-should-i-expect-to-pay-for-shiitake-mushrooms/712202/6 "2015-02-09T16:29:00Z")
And now, for the worst joke I could possibly… make. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-should-i-expect-to-pay-for-shiitake-mushrooms/712202/7 "2015-02-09T17:00:02Z")
> [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#): > > $18 a pound is outrageous for shiitakes. That’s more than some wild mushrooms. I have seen them locally for around $6 to $7 a pound, sold loose. Yeah, around $7/lb is what I’ve seen them at generally around here. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-should-i-expect-to-pay-for-shiitake-mushrooms/712202/8 "2015-02-09T17:11:13Z")
> [@robert\_columbia](#): > > Could we cut it out with the shiity jokes? I dunno, I thought they were funny. I read the first one and did a spiitake. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2015, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-should-i-expect-to-pay-for-shiitake-mushrooms/712202/9 "2015-02-10T01:17:21Z")
Well, there’s an Asian supermarket near me that has the mushrooms loose, but they’re $15 a pound still. I guess I should try elsewhere? Still, I think I’ll have to travel quite a bit, and I’m starting to wonder if it’s worth it, even for this recipe that sounds good…