Maitake Cultivated Mushroom

Maitake

Other names

Hen of the woods, dancing mushroom, cloud mushroom

Latin Names

Grifola frondosa

Season

Autumn, but available all year

Origins

Asia, UK, USA, Europe

Nutrition

Vitamin D & B6

Description & Flavour

This cultivated version of the wild Hen of the Woods is considered a delicacy and forms in clusters of multiple grey feather-like thin caps. They have tiny pores on the underside of these caps, making them a polypore. Maitake are light, pretty and have no real stem or gills which means they are often scattered like flower petals in dishes.