The lion’s mane season has arrived, bringing white, cascading
icicles from the forest to my plate! I conveniently use the
common name “lion’s mane” to refer to a constellation of fungi
of the genus Hericium, including the native northeastern
representatives H. americanum and H. coralloides, as well as the
commonly cultivated H. erinaceus. Most mycology texts call these
three mushrooms bear’s-head tooth, comb tooth, and bearded
tooth, respectively. Distinguishing amongst Hericium species can
be difficult at first, but this is irrelevant to the forager
interested in a good meal. Lion’s mane has no look-a-likes,
edible or poisonous, and all forms are edible and delicious in
the kitchen. With that said, Jenna does prefer the texture of H.
erinaceus, which looks like a faceless hedgehog or a truffula
tree out of Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax. Instead of H. erinaceus’
tight, pom-pom shaped clusters, H. americanum forms looser,
interconnected clumps that look like the tufted form of a
weeping willow tree. H. coralloides rese