The image, above, shows images of Chicken of the Woods mushroom(Grifola frondosa), showing a brown form, top and a
white form, bottom..
| Common Name: Chicken of the Woods |
| Scientific Name: Grifola frondosa |
| Other Names: Sheep's Head mushroom, Ram's Head mushroom, Maitake [Dancing Mushroom] in Japanese |
| Family: Meripilaceae |
| Range: Native to China, Europe, and North America |
Physical Characteristics Edibility Rating: 5 
Grifola frondosa is a perennial, saprophytic, fungus, growing to 100cm (40 in) in diameter. They are typically parasitic on typically parasitic on oak trees, oak trees, but also grows on a number of other tree species and develops from an underground tuber-like structure, about the size of a potato. The mushroom fruits from September to October.
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| Edible Parts: Caps |
 Spore Print: White
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 Hymenium: Decurrent
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 Pores: Pores on hymenium
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 Stipe: Bare
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Edibility Rating: 4 
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 Known Hazards: There are some reports that a small minority of people are allergic to this fungus which may be due to the fungus absorbing poisons from the tree on which it grows. As a result it should not be consumed if growing on elm, cedar or eucalypts.
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Welcome to the summary page for FabulousFusionFood's Wild Food guide to Hen of the Woods along with all the Hen of the Woods containing recipes presented on this site, with 0 recipes in total.
This is a continuation of an entire series of pages that will, I hope, allow my visitors to better navigate this site. As well as displaying recipes by name, country and region of origin I am now planning a whole series of pages where recipes can be located by meal type and main ingredient. This page gives a listing of all the Cornish recipes added to this site.
These recipes, all contain Hen of the Woods as a major wild food ingredient.
Chicken of the Woods, Grifola frondosa (also known as Sheep's Head mushroom, Ram's Head mushroom, Maitake [Dancing Mushroom] in Japanese) is a very distinctive species of polyporaceous basidomycete bracket fungus (filamentous fungi composed of hyphae that reproduce sexually) and is a member of the Polyporaceae family of the Polyporales order that have white spore prints. It is a fairly common species that is typically parasitic on oak trees, but also grows on a number of other tree species and develops from an underground tuber-like structure, about the size of a potato. Typically it fruits during September and October and because of the basal tuber is unusual in that it is perennial and will re-grow in the same spot for many years forming a cauliflower-like fungus with a white underside. The fungus typically grows gregariously in 'shelves' of tightly-packed brackets that, individually, are about 20cm tall and 30cm across. The fungus is broadly bush-shaped with many grey-brown leaf-like branches extending from a single stem. Each individual segment or bract is fan-shaped, radially-furrowed thin and wavy. Young bracts are trumpet shaped which broaden and become concave as they mature. The undersurface of each cap bears approximately one to three pores per millimetre (which are small round and creamy white in colour), with the tubes being short (rarely deeper than 3mm). The milky-white stipe (stalk) has a branchy structure and becomes tough as the mushroom matures. The flesh is fibrous, but does not feel leathery to the touch (despite the fungus' appearance). The smell is pleasant when young and has been variously described as mealy, sweet or even hoppy but tends to become less pleasant with age, approaching something like mouldy cheese.
The firm flesh and pleasant, almost sweet, flavour of the fungus when young makes it excellent eating. Young specimens can be cooked whole, but the firm flesh does require slow cooking and the older the specimen the smaller you need to cut the bracts and the slower you need to cook them. However, in Japanese cuisine it is highly prized and, along with shiitake, shimeji and enoki it is one of the major mushrooms used in Japanese cooking. Indeed, it is especially suited to stews and goulashes as it keeps firm even after prolonged cooking. There are some reports that a small minority of people are allergic to this fungus which may be due to the fungus absorbing poisons from the tree on which it grows. As with any fungus or mushroom species only eat small quantities the first time, in case you are susceptible. However, if you are careful and you know that you are not susceptible then this is an excellent eating species.
The colour, shape and location of this species means that the hen of the woods is can only really be confused with two other fungal species. The first of these is the Cauliflower Fungus (Sparassis crispa) that is typically found at the base of pine trees, has a compact creamy-brown fruiting body and is excellent eating. The other fungus with which it can be confused is the Giant Polypore (Meripilus gigantaeus) which has a similar form, but the fan-shaped fungal caps is much wider and thicker than the hen of the woods and is dark brown and lacks scales. Typically the Giant Polypore grows on the base of beech trees (it is not typically considered a good eating species as it causes gastric upsets in some people and requires very long, slow, cooking to make it edible).
One of the simplest ways of cooking this mushroom is to bake in a foil parcel with plenty of butter.
For other edible mushrooms, see the guide to edible mushrooms
[2]. Huxley, A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992
[3]. Tanaka, T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World.
[4]. Lim T.K. Edible Medicinal And Non-Medicinal Plants, Vols 1–8.
[5]. Thomas, G. S. Perennial Garden Plants
[6]. Milner, E. Trees of Britain and Ireland
[7]. Rose, F. & O'Reilly, C. The Wild Flower Key (Revised Edition) – How to identify wild plants, trees and shrubs in Britain and Ireland
[8]. Streeter, D. & Garrard, I. The Wild Flowers of the British Isles
[9]. Clapham, A.R.; Tutin, T.G. & Moore, D.M. Flora of the British Isles
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[11]. Jordan, P. & Wheeler, S. The Complete Book of Mushrooms: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Edible Mushrooms
[12]. Bunker, F.; Brodie, J.A.; Maggs, C.A. & Bunker, A. Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland.
[13]. Facciola, S. Cornucopia — A Source Book of Edible Plants
This is a continuation of an entire series of pages that will, I hope, allow my visitors to better navigate this site. As well as displaying recipes by name, country and region of origin I am now planning a whole series of pages where recipes can be located by meal type and main ingredient. This page gives a listing of all the Cornish recipes added to this site.
These recipes, all contain Hen of the Woods as a major wild food ingredient.
Chicken of the Woods, Grifola frondosa (also known as Sheep's Head mushroom, Ram's Head mushroom, Maitake [Dancing Mushroom] in Japanese) is a very distinctive species of polyporaceous basidomycete bracket fungus (filamentous fungi composed of hyphae that reproduce sexually) and is a member of the Polyporaceae family of the Polyporales order that have white spore prints. It is a fairly common species that is typically parasitic on oak trees, but also grows on a number of other tree species and develops from an underground tuber-like structure, about the size of a potato. Typically it fruits during September and October and because of the basal tuber is unusual in that it is perennial and will re-grow in the same spot for many years forming a cauliflower-like fungus with a white underside. The fungus typically grows gregariously in 'shelves' of tightly-packed brackets that, individually, are about 20cm tall and 30cm across. The fungus is broadly bush-shaped with many grey-brown leaf-like branches extending from a single stem. Each individual segment or bract is fan-shaped, radially-furrowed thin and wavy. Young bracts are trumpet shaped which broaden and become concave as they mature. The undersurface of each cap bears approximately one to three pores per millimetre (which are small round and creamy white in colour), with the tubes being short (rarely deeper than 3mm). The milky-white stipe (stalk) has a branchy structure and becomes tough as the mushroom matures. The flesh is fibrous, but does not feel leathery to the touch (despite the fungus' appearance). The smell is pleasant when young and has been variously described as mealy, sweet or even hoppy but tends to become less pleasant with age, approaching something like mouldy cheese.
The firm flesh and pleasant, almost sweet, flavour of the fungus when young makes it excellent eating. Young specimens can be cooked whole, but the firm flesh does require slow cooking and the older the specimen the smaller you need to cut the bracts and the slower you need to cook them. However, in Japanese cuisine it is highly prized and, along with shiitake, shimeji and enoki it is one of the major mushrooms used in Japanese cooking. Indeed, it is especially suited to stews and goulashes as it keeps firm even after prolonged cooking. There are some reports that a small minority of people are allergic to this fungus which may be due to the fungus absorbing poisons from the tree on which it grows. As with any fungus or mushroom species only eat small quantities the first time, in case you are susceptible. However, if you are careful and you know that you are not susceptible then this is an excellent eating species.
The colour, shape and location of this species means that the hen of the woods is can only really be confused with two other fungal species. The first of these is the Cauliflower Fungus (Sparassis crispa) that is typically found at the base of pine trees, has a compact creamy-brown fruiting body and is excellent eating. The other fungus with which it can be confused is the Giant Polypore (Meripilus gigantaeus) which has a similar form, but the fan-shaped fungal caps is much wider and thicker than the hen of the woods and is dark brown and lacks scales. Typically the Giant Polypore grows on the base of beech trees (it is not typically considered a good eating species as it causes gastric upsets in some people and requires very long, slow, cooking to make it edible).
One of the simplest ways of cooking this mushroom is to bake in a foil parcel with plenty of butter.
For other edible mushrooms, see the guide to edible mushrooms
References:
[1]. David Evans Notes from field observations, tastings and cookery experiments.[2]. Huxley, A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992
[3]. Tanaka, T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World.
[4]. Lim T.K. Edible Medicinal And Non-Medicinal Plants, Vols 1–8.
[5]. Thomas, G. S. Perennial Garden Plants
[6]. Milner, E. Trees of Britain and Ireland
[7]. Rose, F. & O'Reilly, C. The Wild Flower Key (Revised Edition) – How to identify wild plants, trees and shrubs in Britain and Ireland
[8]. Streeter, D. & Garrard, I. The Wild Flowers of the British Isles
[9]. Clapham, A.R.; Tutin, T.G. & Moore, D.M. Flora of the British Isles
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[11]. Jordan, P. & Wheeler, S. The Complete Book of Mushrooms: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Edible Mushrooms
[12]. Bunker, F.; Brodie, J.A.; Maggs, C.A. & Bunker, A. Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland.
[13]. Facciola, S. Cornucopia — A Source Book of Edible Plants
The alphabetical list of all Hen of the Woods recipes on this site follows, (limited to 100 recipes per page). There are 0 recipes in total:
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Page 1 of 1