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Wandering through Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains this fall, I came across a real delicacy – a lion’s mane. This white, globe-shaped mushroom (with yellow “spines” hanging down) immediately found a place in my daypack and that evening found its way into a frittata that my wife Elaine prepared.
My mushroom mentor, Jeff Huffman of Roanoke, Virginia, regards lion’s mane as a choice edible and describes the fungi as having a seafood texture, which is understandable as many fungi fanciers say Hericium erinaceus possesses a slight seafood flavor of perhaps shrimp or lobster. Huffman adds that lion’s mane can be found in our mountains from late summer through late autumn, especially if the season has been mild.
This mushroom also has been associated with many health benefits as natural food stores often sell an extract of it as a tonic. For example, lion’s mane is reputed to be an antioxidant and to improve heart health as well as cognitive ability. So be sure to check the sides of our region’s hardwoods this fall, and you may just encounter a real prize.
Bruce and Elaine Ingram will profile a different wild edible every month. For more information on their book Living the Locavore Lifestyle, contact them at bruceingramoutdoors@gmail.com
