Lion's Mane Mushroom
By: Anonymous

About

The Lion's Mane Mushroom is an edible mushroom primarily used in Asian cuisine, with a texture reminiscent of seafood when cooked.

Information
Other names: Tooth Fungus, Lion's Main Mushroom
Translations: Lauvas Mane Sēņu, Lion's Mane Grybavimas, Lion's Mane ciuperci, Lion's Mane gljiva, Lion's Mane nấm, Mane Mushroom Lion's, शेर के माने मशरूम, Cogumelo Juba de Leão, Мане Льва грибов, Χαίτη Μανιτάρι λιονταριού, الأسد ماني فطر, 사자의 갈기 버섯, Lví Mane Houbová, Lion's Mane Jamur, Kiling kabute Lion's, 狮子的鬃毛蘑菇, Fongs Mane Lleó, Griva Lion's Mushroom, Leví Mane Hubová, Mushroom Lion's Mane, אינפקטד מאנה האריות, Лавовски Мане печурака, ライオンの鬣キノコ, Mushroom Lion's Mane, Hongos Mane León, Мане Льва грибів, Мане Лъвската гъби


Physical Description
It can be identified by its tendency to grow all the spines out from one group (rather than branches), long spines (greater than 1 cm length) and its appearance on hardwoods.They white and resemble cauliflower or perhaps some albino variety of sea-sponge.
Colors: whitish


Tasting Notes
Flavors: Mildly like seafood, very rich earthy flavor
Mouthfeel: Crisp, Firm
Food complements: Asian cuisine
Wine complements: White wines, Rose, Light reds
Beverage complements: Sake, Beer, Shochu


Selecting and Buying
Choosing: The three main varieties of lion’s mane mushrooms include comb tooth, conifer coral hericum, and comb hericum.
Buying: It is available fresh or dried in Asian grocery stores
Procuring: Found nice one recently on a fallen oak tree. Roughly the size of a large loaf of French bread.


Preparation and Use
Hericium erinaceus is a choice edible when young, and the texture of the cooked mushroom is often compared to seafood. This mushroom is cultivated commercially on logs or sterilized sawdust And modern science is now discovering that not only is it a culinary delicacy but it may also possess some unique medicinal properties, with its ability to stimulate nerve and myelin regeneration. Lion’s mane mushrooms can be sautéed, broiled, grilled, or added to any recipe that requires mushrooms. These mushrooms are especially tasty when served over fish or combined with fresh vegetables.
Cleaning: soak in 2 tablespoons of salt water for 30 minutes. helps clean out any insect and bacteria


Conserving and Storing
Store fresh lion’s mane mushrooms in a paper bag in the refrigerator for up to seven days. Dried mushrooms should be stored in a tightly sealed container, in a cool, dry place.


Social/Political
Hericium erinaceus (Lion’s Mane ) is known to grow in Europe, North America, Japan and China. It can be found on many broad leaf trees, from oaks, maples and sycamores to beeches and walnuts.Most of our eastern species almost always grow on hardwoods, especially willows and maples. Hericium erinaceus is the most commonly cultivated member of the genus and is characterized by long spines that never branch. It seems to become more common as you head south.
History: In 1821 Elias Magnus Fries attempted to list and classify all of the fungi that were known at the time. He had four very large genera for the basidiomycetes-- Agaricus for all the gilled fungi, Boletus for all the pore fungi, Clavaria for all the coral fungi, and Hydnum for all the tooth fungi. (Hydn- is the root of the Greek word for tooth.) It was very easy to determine the genus for any fungus, but the genus names told you about only one character of the fungus-- how it bears its spores. In modern genera, much more than that is communicated just by saying the name, including its microscopic characters, some macroscopic characters, its ecological niche, and often much more. We now classify the species that have teeth in dozens of other modern genera, many of which are not closely related.

Comments:
Donna Sullivan ...

I wish some great chef or cook out there would add a recipe for this mushroom. My husband is actually growing these and I don't have a clue on how to prepare them. The first crop, we sauteed in butter but it was awfully bland. Any ideas?
David Thomas

slice the lions mane about 1/4 inch thick and bake until exterior is crisp. saute a white wine cream sauce with butter and fresh herbs to drizzle over the top and serve over a delicate pasta. top with grated parmesan or your favorite cheese and freshly ground black pepper.
Donna Sullivan ...

I wish some great chef or cook out there would add a recipe for this mushroom. My husband is actually growing these and I don't have a clue on how to prepare them. The first crop, we sauteed in butter but it was awfully bland. Any ideas?
Mark Harman

Would love to learn how to grow these mushrooms! The only ones I've eaten were found "wild" in the Buellton, CA area. They were some of the best wild mushrooms I've ever eaten! Sauted in butter with a bit of garlic and a mix dried herbs.
Deanna

Chop and place in a salad. Brew it, with honey and ginger for a new tea combination. I am planing on growing it myself to try in some new recipes. I hope this was helpful? Deanna