A bright sulphur-yellow and orange bracket fungus that grows in shelves on living and dead hardwood trees.
Where it grows
Chicken of the woods fruits from late spring through autumn, almost always on living or recently dead hardwoods — particularly oak. It causes a destructive brown cubical rot in the heartwood. The brackets emerge as soft yellow knobs and expand within days into broad, glowing shelves.
How to recognise it
Tier upon tier of fleshy fan-shaped brackets, each with a flame-orange upper surface fading to bright sulphur-yellow at the wavy edge. The pore surface beneath is uniformly yellow. Flesh is thick, white to yellow, and faintly sour-smelling.
Edibility & cautions
A famous edible — the texture and flavour are reminiscent of chicken breast. Important cautions: only eat young soft brackets (the growing edges), cook thoroughly, and avoid specimens from yew, cedar, or eucalyptus, which can absorb compounds that cause stomach upset. A small percentage of people react badly even to good specimens; eat a tiny portion the first time.
Culinary use
Cube and pan-fry like chicken; excellent in curries, pies, and tacos.
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Chicken of the Woods starts with C and ends with S. Browse other mushrooms along the same letter.
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