Maitake
- King of the Fall mushrooms
Genus and Species: Grifola frondosa, Common Name: Hen of the
Woods
 As the mushrooming season comes to a close, one last treat awaits
the forager. One last BIG treat because, if you're lucky, you may find a fruiting of Hen
of the Woods (Grifola frondosa) as big as forty or fifty pounds.
Here's a list of some of the many good things about Grifola frondosa (AKA Maitake in
Japan):
1) Fabulous flavor
2) A firm texture that lends itself to almost any culinary application
 3) Its
usually bug free - at least inside the flesh - you have to pick over it but unless it's
over the hill you won't find much in the way of bug larvae
4) Easy to store. Just chop this one up into what ever size pieces you
like to cook with and store them in freezer bags in the freezer without any par-boiling,
etc.
5) It's good for you! Scientific studies identified Maitake as having
immune-enhancing, cancer-preventing and HIV suppressing properties.
Link: How to
find and identify Maitake | How to prepare Maitake
More Maitake Pictures and Descriptions | Maitake recipes |
