Have you ever stumbled upon this beautiful and delicious mushroom? Chicken of the woods is one of the most easily identifiable mushrooms out there. Some say that the young fruiting bodies look like spray foam but mature specimens are a beautiful orange and yellow color growing in a shelf like pattern on decaying wood. Chicken of the woods has a wavy edge on the outside where you will also see the yellow color. Where the mushroom attaches to the substrate it is characterized by the lack of stem, instead having a false stem of tougher materiel often discarded by foragers. The underside of the mushroom lacks gills. Pores might be present. The best time to harvest these mushrooms are in the late summer and early fall. Look for large specimens with vibrant colors. AS chicken of the wood ages it with often lose some color. It can sometimes be found on living trunks of trees as it has been known to sometimes act parasitically.
Chicken of the Woods has a wonderful flavor that many people say tastes like chicken. You can prepare it in so many different ways and in this video, I use an Italian seasoning blend and pair the mushrooms with some sauteed spinach. Always be careful when preparing chicken of the woods as eating wild mushrooms can be risky. Make sure you have properly identified chicken of the woods first and then make sure to cook thoroughly to avoid any gastrointestinal issues.