Chicken of the Woods

Laetiporus sp.

See artwork and accessories in our shop celebrating the Chicken of the Woods!

Photo taken by: Jean-Pol GRANDMONT

Etymology:

• Chicken of The Woods: Named for its striking resemblance and similar flavor to chickens! Chicken of the Woods is also a broad terms for several different species of fungi within the Laetiporus Genus. The most common is the Sulphur Shelf (Laetiporus sulphureus).

• Laetiporus: The genus name is formed by combining the prefix "Laeti," meaning "bright," with the suffix "porus," which referes to the pores on the underside of the mushroom.

Location: Found mostly in North America and Europe, however, chicken of the woods has been seen in parts of asia, south africa, and South America.

Ecological Group: This mushroom serves as both a decomposer and a parasitic fungus. It thrives on hardwood and conifer trees, siphoning nutrients from them while they are alive and later breaking them down after they have died

Edible? Yes, and many agree that it does taste somewhat like chicken! However, certain species are more preferable than others, and some people can be sensitive to the fungus. When consuming it, you must ensure it is fully cooked; otherwise, it can lead to stomach issues.

• History and Culture

  • In Kaffa, Ethiopia, Chicken of the Woods has been used to ease stomach pain and assist in the removal of excess placenta after childbirth. [7]

• Science

  • Chicken of the woods is often found covered in droplets of water. Although resembling condensation, these droplets are actually a metabolic product called guttation. We are not 100% certain why mushrooms do this, however, one theory is that these droplets contain compounds to protect the fungi from insects, bacteria, and even other fungi [1][2]

  • This fungus is a polypore meaning it creates and releases spores through tiny holes on the underside of the mushroom. [3]

  • There are over 7 species of Chicken of the woods growing in North America. [3]

  • The heaviest known edible mushroom was a Chicken of the Woods, discovered in 1990 in the UK, and it weighed an impressive 100 lbs. (45.35 kg)! [4]

  • Chicken of the Woods contains antibacterial compounds that have shown to be affective against staph bacteria, E. Coli, and gram positive bacteria. [5][6][8]

• Agriculture

  • Due to having a complex relationship with their host trees, methods for large-scale cultivation of chicken of the woods were only discovered in 2012. [9]

• Learn More

  • Laetiporus Wikipedia

  • Mushroom Appreciation - Chasing the Chicken of the Woods (Facts, Identification, and Recipes) - Great comprehensive article about Chicken of the Woods

  • Gunnes World Record Edible Fungi

  • (videp) Adam Ragusea - Start foraging with edible shelf fungus (chicken of the woods ‘mushroom’) - Great video talking about chicken of the woods, though I disagree when he says polypores are not mushrooms

• References

  1. Krain, A., & Siupka, P. (2021). Fungal Guttation, a Source of Bioactive Compounds and Its Ecological Role—A Review. Biomolecules 2021, 11, 1270.

  2. Chicken of the woods. (n.d.). Project Noah. https://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/1903465738

  3. Jenny. (2023). Chasing the Chicken of the Woods (Facts, identification, and Recipes) - Mushroom appreciation. Mushroom Appreciation. https://www.mushroom-appreciation.com/chicken-of-the-woods.html

  4. Heaviest edible fungi. (n.d.). Guinness World Records. https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/66485-heaviest-edible-fungi

  5. Turkoglu, A., Duru, M. E., Mercan, N., Kivrak, I., & Gezer, K. (2007). Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of Laetiporus sulphureus (Bull.) Murrill. Food chemistry, 101(1), 267-273.

  6. Suay, I., Arenal, F., Asensio, F. J., Basilio, A., Angeles Cabello, M., Teresa Díez, M., ... & Francisca Vicente, M. (2000). Screening of basidiomycetes for antimicrobial activities. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, 78, 129-140.

  7. Grigor, C. (n.d.). Laetiporus Sulphureus: A Medicinal Mushroom from Ethiopia. Penn State University. https://www.psu.edu/news/academics/story/laetiporus-sulphureus-medicinal-mushroom-ethiopia/#:~:text=The%20Kaffa%20people%20in%20southwest,woman's%20retained%20placenta%20following%20childbirth.

  8. Adamska, I. (2023). The Possibility of Using Sulphur Shelf Fungus (Laetiporus sulphureus) in the Food Industry and in Medicine—A Review. Foods, 12(7), 1539.

  9. Pleszczyńska, M., Wiater, A., Siwulski, M., & Szczodrak, J. (2013). Successful large-scale production of fruiting bodies of Laetiporus sulphureus (Bull.: Fr.) Murrill on an artificial substrate. World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology, 29, 753-758.

Disclaimer: Please refrain from picking and consuming mushrooms without proper guidance. If you have an interest in learning how to forage, I strongly encourage you to join your local mycological society. You can find a list of clubs across America, organized by state, on the North American Mycological Society's website.