Do You Eat the Chicken of the Woods?

The one in the photo above, is growing on the trunk of an oak tree. I am not certain what type of tree the one to the right, is - but it gives you an excellent illustration of how they grow. They also can be found on yew, cherry, sweet chestnut, red fir and willow trees - dead, or alive. Beautiful, are they not? Some people don't think they are beautiful, because they have the reputation of destroying any living trees that are their host. Nevertheless, their yellow-orange "shelves" are a bounty of good eating!

Chicken of the Woods can be found growing on live, decaying, or dead trees - in many areas of the world. They grow in North America, Europe, Asia, South America, Australia, and we even found sources citing their existence in Africa.

Forestry Images: Credits to Paul Hennon, for his photo of Chicken of the Woods mushroom shelves.

If you want to be scientifically accurate, the name for these mushrooms, is Laetiporus Sulfureous, not "Chicken of the Woods". The name is indicative of their "sulfurous" color. This is just one species of the mushrooms commonly called the "Chicken of the Woods". There are other types, such as: Laetiporus gilbertsonii, which is pink, Laetiporus coniferica, and Laetiporus persicinus, and several more. As with any mushroom, do your homework! Investigate thoroughly, before ingesting - some are not suitable for eating, due to various toxic reactions on record.

There is a very informative article on the "Chicken of the Woods", on Wikipedia. Click here.

These mushrooms are best eaten - fresh. They can also be purchased dried, and reconstituted, but they require slow cooking, on low heat, for a long time - due to their tough nature. If you have the time, it is well worth the wait, as they really DO taste like chicken!

This photo is from the Mushroom Master website, which is simply a feast for the eyes. They have pink mushrooms, blue mushrooms, yellow mushrooms, and a lot of information about exotic edible mushrooms. You will enjoy their site, immensely! Check it out here.

We found recipes for Sautéed Chicken of the Woods, Chicken of the Woods and Beans, Shrimp with Chicken of the Woods, Trout with Chicken of the Woods, and Mustard Chicken of the Woods Supreme, online - just to mention a few.

Basically, they can be substitued for chicken, in any recipe you can concoct! Remember - go easy on them, if they are new to you. Some people do have reactions to them, but then, some people have reactions to dairy, wheat, and peanuts, too!

Despite many references to the "Chicken of the Woods" being a mushroom that is unmistakeable, and therefore easy to identify in the wild, I found a few places that conflicted with that opinion. Even though the mushroom is quite distinctive, there are a very few species that resemble it, which have been implicated in poisonings. As with ALL mushrooms - it is better to be safe, than sorry. I prefer to purchase ours, from reputable growers, to allay all concerns.

Also - reportedly, in some people, they can cause gastric upset - so eat a small amount, until you are certain they will not do that - to you! Easy does it, especially on your first sampling. Try a minute amount, and eat only young, fresh growths. The older ones are usually implicated in allergic reactions people have experienced - most commonly: swollen lips, and once in a while nausea, and vomiting. See the Wikipedia article about them, mentioned under our heading above - Botanically Speaking....