****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
So given that most dried powders are considerably less expensive than $30 a pound (based on price at time I wrote this. I mean, a high quality steak is typically half that!), I decided to address the price and why it's worth that much.First of all, most (all?) of the dried porcini products I've seen, whether whole or in powder form, cost even more per pound. The reason is simple: dried mushrooms weigh a small fraction of fresh mushrooms. Thus, at some point, this pound of dried, powdered mushrooms was MANY pounds of fresh mushrooms, thus the reason for the high price.Okay, issue one explains WHY it cost so much, but issue 2 is, is it worth the price?Yes. The reason is that it is PACKED with umami flavor. Sure, you can get "mushroom seasoning" from Asia that is made from shiitake and salt for a much lower price, why not just buy that? Well, you SHOULD buy that...AND this. They are actually very different products.This mushroom powder is NOT salted, it's just pure mushroom powder. That means you need to add salt if you want to use this as a rub or in an injection, but it also means you can add as much mushroom flavor to something as you want without worrying about the salt content. Also, it's porcini powder, and porcini mushrooms have a strong flavor that is unique and wonderful and, to be frank, superior to the flavor of most (maybe all) other mushrooms, including the shiitake.Add this to soups (especially french onion or a cheese soup, wow what a difference), sauces, gravies, salad dressings, dry rubs, or injections for meats...you will not be disappointed. Also, you don't need much. A tablespoon goes a long way, and adds a lot of incredible flavor, so even if it is expensive "per pound" it's actually quite reasonable per meal. I would recommend cooking it though, that does bring the flavor out and gives it a better texture, that would include if you use it in a sauce or salad dressing, it just comes out better that way.Bottom line: This is an incredibly versatile ingredient that makes almost anything better, if you want to add a whole lot of umami without adding additional salt, this is the single best way to do it.
