dried ingredients: quality

All ingredients, when dried and reconstituted and then cooked have their flavors intensified. For example, fresh shiitake mushrooms have sensual texture, but dried ones when reconstituted, have that and more. Think of apricots, they are soft and luscious when ripe and their mild flavor tantalizes. Not so dried apricots, their flavor increases and is more intense. Such is the case for most fruits and vegetables, even more so for some protein foods.
When a recipe calls for a dried item, do not substitute fresh ones and expect the same taste. Rather, the first step should be to buy the very best dried ones that you can afford. For some, you need to rely on price as a judge of quality, for others there are external clues. For example, when buying dried shiitake mushrooms, the best are thick with well-crazed top surfaces. Thin ones are good in soups and simple stir-fried dishes, but if you want to really savor texture and intense mushroom flavor, buy and correctly prepare the best quality mushrooms you can afford.
One general rule that does apply, is to keep in mind that the longer ingredients have been dried, the longer the soaking time. Another general rule is that thickness determines length of soaking time, thicker means more time in the soaking process. This is true if the item is a bean, a beet, an abalone, or a mushroom. Reconstituted items should have a texture close to that of the finished product. The only exceptions are for items that will be long cooked after they are soaked, such as in a soup.