Hen of the Woods : Edible : choice

HEN OF THE WOODS (also known as MAITAKE,
RAMSHEAD or SHEEPSHEAD MUSHROOM)
Scientific name: Grifola frondosa

This is one of the best-known edible wild mushrooms, and one that offers the biggest harvest. A single specimen of the Hen of the Woods can weigh ten pounds or more, and it is quite abundant in parts of the Northeast where there are abundant large oak trees. Some trees have produced as much as 100 pounds of this mushroom in one season!

The name "Hen of the Woods" refers to its appearance, which strongly resembles a hen with ruffled feathers. In the Appalachian region, it is called "Sheepshead" or "Ramshead" by many—a similar visual metaphor. The Japanese name, Maitake, means "dancing mushroom" It is said by the Japanese that the mushroom hunter lucky enough to find one is often inspired to dance happily.

Grifolas, as the more knowledgeable amateur mycophiles call them, are polypore mushrooms, meaning the undersurface of each tiny "cap" has a layer of downward pointing tubes; the open ends of the tubes are visible as "pores." The color of the mushrooms' upper surfaces varies considerably in color, from pale tan to dark brown; most often, it is predominately gray, tan or brown. It is never orange or reddish. The undersides of the caps are white, and close examination (a hand lens or "magnifying glass" can help) reveals tiny white pores which are smallest near the edges of the caps.
 
The Hen of the Woods is basically a fall mushroom, but summer and (rarely) even spring fruitings have been reported.
 
This wonderful species is typically associated with oak, so the best way to find it is to seek it during autumn around the base of large oak trees (living or dead) and stumps. Other known hosts include elm, maple, beech, chestnut and sycamore; it has also been reported with larch (tamarack), pines and other conifers. Especially under big oak trees, this mushroom has been known to produce specimens annually for many years in succession.
 
 It is a very distinctive species with no dangerous "look-alikes", making it a very good choice for the novice mushroomer. The Black-staining Polypore (Meripilus sumstinei)—which obviously develops conspicuous black stains (especially from handling after being picked)—has much wider and thicker "caps" but is grossly similar in appearance. Berkeley's Polypore (Bondarzewia berkeleyi, see photo, right) also has much larger and thicker caps, and is consistently tan to yellowish brown. Both of these similar-looking species are edible, but neither can hold a candle to the Hen of the Woods in terms of flavor.
 
Old specimens tend to be bitter, fibrous or both. As always, my advice is to collect only very fresh specimens for human consumption. Avoid specimens from potentially contaminated habitats—see The Mycophagist's Ten Commandments for more information on this and other hazards! Also, the Hen of the Woods is notorious for growing around sticks, twigs, leaves, etc., so it is sometimes necessary to take a good deal of time to "dissect" a specimen to make sure that no such forest debris ends up in the cooking pot.