Monster Lion's Mane Mushroom
A Thanksgiving surprise.
Good morning,
I hope you had a nice and relaxing Thanksgiving holiday! I sure did.
Leading up to Turkey Day, I went for a leisurely stroll around my northern Virginia neighborhood. I stumbled upon a massive Lion’s Mane mushroom (Hericium erinaceus) on a dying hardwood tree. To ensure I didn’t fall prey to misidentification, I snapped a picture and posted it on social media for feedback.
I soon received a flood of comments from friends confirming, yes, I indeed stumbled upon a legit Lion’s Mane mushroom.
A mushroom blog says Hericium is Latin for hedgehog (as denoted by the quills). There are two related mushrooms: Hericium americanum (Bear's head tooth) and Hericium coralloides (Coral tooth fungus) but no known poisonous cousins. Other mushrooms I’ve targeted - boletes, chanterelles, morels - have poisonous look-a-likes.
On Thanksgiving morning, I retraced my steps and and found my prize clinging tightly to its decaying tree host. It weighed over five pounds. For comparison, I went to Wegman’s and saw a lone lion’s mane package revealing a $13/pound cost. Woof. Wild mushrooms = major $$$ savings.
Why is lion’s mane sought after? They support brain health, reduce inflammation, bolster your gut, ameliorate anxiety, reduce cholesterol, and keep cancers like Alzheimer’s at bay.
I’m by no means an expert mushroom forager. In summer 2021, I was a self-described reluctant mushroom hunter. Now, I am not so reluctant anymore.
I cooked up this baby and liked its seafood-like taste:
Have you tried Lion’s Mane? Let me know!
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Happy trails and tight lines, everyone!
Kind regards,
Gabriella Hoffman
Award-Winning Writer, Journalist, & Policy Analyst