Question: do shiitake mushrooms smell funny?
Answer: Why do shiitake mushrooms stink? - Quora. Sulfur, and sulfur compounds that are off gassing is the reason they can stink. I raise mushrooms, and the substrate they are grown on seems to play a role, on how intensely they stink. When I've raised them on/in sawdust the scent is less noticeable that rice bran.