Hericium erinaceus
Hericium erinaceus
Common Names: Lion’s Mane, Pom-Pom, Yamabushiitake
Type: Gourmet, Medicinal
Lion’s Mane tastes unbelievable good, is easy to grow, and does amazing things for your brain.
It’s also one favorite mushrooms of all time!
Lion’s mane is not your typical cap-n-stem mushroom- preferring to grow in snowball like formations. Instead of gills, it uses elongated “teeth” for spore dispersal.
It is commonly cultivated in mushroom grow bags on hardwood sawdust. The fruit bodies are quite fragile, and great care must be taken during harvest to reduce bruising and extend shelf life.
This mushroom makes a good replacement for meat, and can be used in place of chicken or seafood in many recipes. I even like to just fry it up with butter!
Lion’s Mane is also a potent nootropic, able to help boost cognitive function and memory. Research is being done on how Lion’s Mane might be able to help sufferers of dementia and alzheimer’s.