For millennia, healers the world over have used certain edible mushrooms in teas, decoctions, prepared foods, soups and the like to promote health and longevity. My ancestors were no different, I recall my elders telling me they were magic!
Check this one out!
As often is the case, I just happened upon her on my evening hike with the girls along the upper edge of a Hemlock-lipped gorge amidst an old growth Hemlock, Beech forest.
This is Hen-of-the-Woods, or Ram’s Head. You all might be more familiar with its widely known Japanese name, Maitake, which means “dancing mushroom.” This name stems from the fact that when people found them they were overjoyed and driven to dancing a bit in the woods. The girls and I did a dance of course!
The scientific name is Grifola frondosa, and it is a choice edible species. It is a polyspore mushroom meaning it drops spores from holes underneath rather than gills. It is easy to identify as it looks like a ruffled hen in the woods (as the name would suggest, eh?)! More importantly, however, there aren't any poisionous species that look quite like it.
Recently, science has begun to recognize the healing properties of these magic mushrooms so spoken of by our ancestors. An explosion of research spearheaded in Japan has supported the powerful, supportive medicinal effects of mushrooms on one’s immune system, and on cancer in particular. Maitake mushrooms contain certain types of polysaccharides (chain of sugar molecules), called beta-glucans. Beta-glucans are found in several different types of mushrooms and are believed to stimulate the immune system and activate cells and proteins that attack cancer, including natural killer cells, macrophages and T-cells—all that and they are quite delicious!
Here’s to these health empowering, yummy, magic mushrooms—and, of course, dancing in the woods!
Recent Comments