Here's my latest column for the newspaper:
Mushrooms come in all shapes and sizes: tiny gray umbrellas. Volleyball-sized puffballs. Shaggy pom-poms. Sponge-textured hollow caps.
But one Appalachian fungi has the unique honor of resembling the ruffled feathers of a nesting hen.
“Hen of the Woods,” Grifola frondosa, is made up of dozens or even hundreds of overlapping, fan-shaped mushroom caps that form a cluster at the base of oak trees.
Its fronds range from smoky gray and taupe to earthy brown, often with lighter, cream-colored edges. The underside is creamy white and covered in tiny pores instead of gills.
These clusters can stretch more than a foot across and weigh 10 to 20 pounds or more. In West Virginia, hen of the woods generally fruits from September through November, depending on rainfall and temperatures.
What’s in a name?
The mushroom's ruffled appearance has inspired other names across the region.
In parts of West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Kentucky, the fungus is also known as “sheep’s head,” a nod to its rounded, shaggy clusters that resemble the woolly head of a sheep. It is sometimes called “ram’s head” for similar reasons.
But not all of its names are inspired by appearances.
Among the Cherokee, whose ancestral homelands include portions of southern Appalachia, the mushroom is known as “wishi,” a name rooted in generations of traditional foodways.
More than another name for the mushroom, the word reflects its place in Cherokee food traditions. For generations, Cherokee families have gathered the prized fungus in the forests of the southern Appalachians, preserving knowledge of where it grows and how to prepare it.
Across the Pacific, the same mushroom takes on a name not based on its appearance or meanings but how it makes you feel. In Japan, it is called “maitake,” meaning “dancing mushroom.”
According to popular folklore, the fungus was once so highly prized that those fortunate enough to discover it would dance with joy.
Same mushroom, different continents
Despite an ocean separating the two regions, Grifola frondosa is native to both eastern North America and East Asia.
In Japan, as in Appalachia, it thrives in temperate hardwood forests, particularly around mature oak trees, and traditionally appears in the autumn months.
Despite the thousands of miles separating Japan and Appalachia, the two regions have found similar ways to appreciate the same wild mushroom.
Today, maitake is a staple of Japanese cuisine, appearing in soups, hot pots, tempura and rice dishes. Its layered fronds absorb flavors while retaining a pleasantly firm texture, and its naturally savory, umami-rich taste makes it a versatile ingredient.
In Appalachia, hen of the woods finds its way into cast-iron skillets, gravies and hearty autumn meals. Its earthy, nutty flavor and meaty texture make it equally at home alongside soy sauce and miso as butter, cornmeal and country gravy.
Whether it’s called hen of the woods, sheep’s head, wishi or maitake, the mushroom has earned a place at tables on opposite sides of the world.
And no matter the culture, that feeling of wanting to do a little dance upon discovering a cluster of maitake transcends all languages.
