Seasoned Japanese Mushrooms (Nametake Recipe)
Feb 18, 2022 • Updated Jun 17, 2024
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Learn to make Nametake, or seasoned Japanese mushrooms, at home for a healthy, easy snack or condiment. Made with mixed mushrooms, gluten-free soy sauce, and coconut sugar, this little salty dish is essential in Japanese cooking and makes a great topping on just about anything.
What is Nametake?
Nametake is a convenient preserved food staple in Japanese cuisine. This Japanese mushroom snack comes in shelf-stable jars and was such a childhood treat for me (my sisters would fight over it and love to eat it as a snack).
It is often served as a condiment with rice or on top of chazuke. The mushrooms are seasoned with soy sauce and have a soft, almost gooey texture which makes it a great accompaniment to many foods.
What Makes This Recipe Great
Nametake is simply soy-braised enoki mushrooms. It’s actually very easy (and cheap) to make at home without any preservatives or artificial additives!
These seasoned Japanese mushrooms feature key ingredients like enoki and shimeji mushrooms, Tamari sauce, mirin, sake, coconut sugar, and rice wine vinegar. All the ingredients are easily sourced at Asian markets.
To get all of the flavors of traditional nametake without fish, I add shimeji mushrooms to the traditional enoki for extra texture and umami. And, of course, I use gluten-free soy sauce. This recipe is also refined sugar-free! Instead of cane sugar, these mushrooms are sweetened with coconut sugar.
This great recipe takes only 15 minutes to make and is super flavorful, delicious, and versatile!
Ingredient Notes
- enoki mushroom: You can find these at most Asian markets or Japanese supermarkets if you have one close to you!
- shimeji mushrooms: I used this to give some extra texture and umami since I omitted the dashi or bonito (since it contains fish).
- gluten-free soy sauce: I use Tamari, which is a gluten-free soy sauce alternative.
- mirin
- sake
- coconut sugar: You can use regular organic cane sugar or granulated sugar if preferred.
- rice wine vinegar
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Slice the bottoms off of your enoki mushroom stems, then cut the mushrooms into thirds. Tear up the shimeji mushrooms to separate them into bite-sized pieces using your hands. Place enoki pieces and shimeji mushrooms in a small saucepan.
- Add soy sauce, mirin, sake, coconut sugar, and mushrooms in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir to combine, making sure the sugar melts, and the mushrooms are evenly coated in plenty of liquid.
- Cook down for about 4-5 minutes, until the mixture starts to thicken and the mushrooms soften, stirring occasionally. The liquid should also reduced.
- Deglaze by adding your rice wine vinegar, stir, and lower the heat. Let cool completely, then transfer to a jar for storage.
Expert Tips
- Adjusting the Salt: The great part about making homemade preserved mushrooms is that they’re actually preservative-free! The texture is also more enjoyable, with less of a gelatinous slimy texture, as you’re preparing it fresh.
- Store-bought versions are very salty, which is why it’s used as a condiment. But you can easily adjust the taste if you prefer and use less soy sauce–adjust to taste!
- Flavor Additions: Feel free to make this mushroom condiment your own! You can make my version this time and next time add in yuzu, chili oil, or togarashi for spice. It’s a super customizable, simple dish.
Serving Tips
- You can eat it right away or stash your Japanese mushrooms in a clean container or glass jars in the fridge and eat it as a condiment.
- This Japanese mushroom condiment is quite salty and intended to be eaten in small quantities with steamed rice, fried rice, ochazuke, and similar dishes.
Storage Tips
- Store in a jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Eat as a snack or condiment, and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
Typically, the Japanese preserved mushrooms you buy in the store are not gluten-free. They’re made with conventional soy sauce containing a small amount of wheat. This homemade recipe is fully gluten-free, just use your favorite tamari or GF soy sauce.
Often, the store-bought preserved mushrooms contain dashi or bonito flakes, both of which contain fish. When you make your own, you can skip all animal products.
More Homemade Condiment Recipes
Homemade Furikake Seasoning (vegan, gluten free)
Garlic Scape Pesto (vegan, gluten free)
Eggplant Dip with Miso Tahini Sauce
Healthy Vegan Buffalo Sauce (no oil, no butter)
If you make this homemade Nametake recipe, be sure to let me know what you think with a star rating and comment below! Follow me on Instagram for more delicious recipes!
Seasoned Japanese Mushrooms (Nametake Recipe)
Ingredients
- 2 packs enoki mushroom
- 1/2 pack shimeji mushrooms
- 3 tbsp gluten free soy sauce
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 2 tbsp sake
- 1 tbsp coconut sugar
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
Instructions
- Slice the bottoms off of your enoki mushroom stems, then cut mushrooms into thirds. Tear up the shimeji mushrooms to separate them into bite sized pieces, using your hands.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, add soy sauce, mirin, sake, coconut sugar and mushrooms. Stir to combine, making sure the sugar melts and the mushrooms are evenly coated.
- Cook down for about 4-5 minutes, until the mixture starts to thicken and the mushrooms soften, stirring occasionally. The liquid should also reduce.
- Deglaze by adding your rice wine vinegar, stir and lower the heat. Let cool completely, then transfer to a jar for storage.
Notes
Expert Tips
Adjusting the Salt: The great part about making homemade Nametake is that they’re actually preservative-free! The texture is also more enjoyable, with less of a slimy feel, as you’re preparing it fresh. Store-bought versions are very salty, which is why it’s used as a condiment. But you can easily adjust the taste if you prefer and use less soy sauce–adjust to taste! Flavor Additions: Feel free to make this Nametake condiment your own! You can add in yuzu, chili oil, or togarashi for spice.Serving Tips
- You can eat the Nametake right away or stash your Japanese mushrooms in a jar in the fridge and eat it as a condiment.
- This Japanese mushroom condiment is quite salty and intended to be eaten in small quantities with rice, ochazuke, and similar dishes.
Storage Tips
- Store in a jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Eat as a snack or condiment, and enjoy!
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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