Steps

1. Lightly rinse the dried shiitake mushrooms, soak them in 200ml of water for 5-6 hours to rehydrate. [This is the key!] Slow rehydration enhances their umami flavor.
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2. If using shiitake mushrooms with stems, trim them off with kitchen shears after rehydrating.
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3. Trim the ends of the carrot and peel it with a peeler.
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4. Cut the carrot into 3 equal lengths.
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5. Cut the carrots, which have been divided into three lengths, into bite-sized pieces, splitting them lengthwise into 4 to 8 pieces. [This is the key!] Aim for 8 pieces on the thicker end and about 4 pieces on the thinner tip.
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6. Place the cut carrots in a pot.
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7. Add the lightly squeezed shiitake mushrooms to the pot. [This is the key!] If the dried shiitake mushrooms are large, you can cut them in half.
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8. Strain the shiitake mushroom soaking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve.
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9. If you have enough rehydrating liquid, add water to adjust it to 200ml and pour it into the pot.
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10. Add 2 tbsp of sugar, 2 tbsp of Mirin (Sweet Rice Wine), and 2 tbsp of soy sauce to the pot.
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11. Gently mix with chopsticks.
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12. Place the pot over medium heat and wait for the liquid to boil.
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13. Once the liquid boils and scum appears, skim it off with a ladle. [This is the key!] Tilting the pot makes it easier to remove scum.
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14. After removing the scum, place a drop lid on the pot.
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15. Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for 15 minutes, ensuring it maintains a gentle simmer beneath the drop lid.
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16. After 15 minutes, remove the drop lid.
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17. Continue simmering without the drop lid to reduce the liquid.
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18. Reduce the liquid for about 5 more minutes until only a thin layer of liquid remains at the bottom of the pot.
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