Shiitake (Lentinula edodes) is a mushroom native to East Asia, which is now cultivated and consumed around the globe. They are used extensively in Asian cuisine.
High-grade shiitake is called donko (冬菇) in Japanese and dōnggū in Chinese, literally "winter mushroom". Another high-grade of mushroom is called huāgū (花菇) in Chinese, literally "flower mushroom", which has a flower-like cracking pattern on the mushroom's upper surface.