What is maitake?
Maitake mushroom is also named “hen of woods”. It has a delicious wild fungal
fruiting body that people with an interest in mushrooms prefer to harvest. Maitake is
called the “king of mushrooms” in Japan. It has been used for a long time to treat
different illnesses as adaptogenic and as a substantial medicinal mushroom.
Maitake mushrooms is a part of the Japanese culinary tradition for a long time.
The scientific name of the maitake mushroom is Grifola frondosa. The name “hen-of-
the-woods” is actually used in the English-speaking diaspora. Maitake is also
named signorina mushroom, ram’s head, hen, etc.
How to identify maitake mushrooms?
The Maitake mushroom is one of the largest fungi. Oak trees are the main host of
maitake in the wild. And more specifically they are found at the base and old
decaying stumps of the oak. Maitake usually grows in the forests and they could be
mistaken for a pile of old leaves against a stump especially if looked at from a distant
place. Maitake appears like ruffed feathers of the back of a hen. These mushrooms
have white below caps and vivid brown above so it is recommended to look for
overlapping. A cap feature is that they have a smooth rubbery texture and when
bent down they quickly spring back and then released. The under-surface of the caps is
covered by fine pores. The stalk is multi-branched and its color is white. It is also
very thick and short, and fat.
Maitake mushrooms are very similar to the edible Polypore G. umbellata whose
caps have a form of an umbrella. These caps are also more open that the caps of
maitake mushrooms. The so-called “hen-of-the-woods” is perplexed by Berkeley’s
polypore, cauliflowers, and others.
How is maitake mushroom cultivated?
Maitake is basically a fungus that is a saprophytic polypore and perennial. A long
time ago this mushroom has been cultivated only in the temperate woods of the
states of East America, Siberia (Russia), and Japan. Nowadays, thanks
to commercial cultivation, people from all over the world have the opportunity
to live healthier because of the benefits of this medicinal mushroom. The reason
for this is the possibility of producing maitake in very big quantities.
Maitake is best grown in buried hardwood logs and stumps when it is located
outdoors. When it is indoors the best place to harvest is supplemented hardwood
sawdust. Generally, fruiting is slow. It takes about an year to a year and forth
months for it to appear after spawning inoculation in the farms it is harvested. To be
properly cultivated the entire mushroom should be pulled from the substrate at the
base.
Maitake mushroom nutrition facts and health benefits
First of all, maitake mushrooms are low in calories. There are 31 calories in 100
a gram of fresh mushroom. This gourmet mushroom is highly priced because it is
full of bioactive components, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that are useful
for human general health.
Secondly, maitake consists of beta-glucan. Beta-glucan is a polysaccharide
component. Its main medical advantage is cholesterol reduction.
Thirdly, the maitake mushroom is one of the most recognized fungi that has been used
in traditional Chinese medicine for hundreds of years. The other most
recognized medicinal fungi in TCM is the turkey tail mushroom. Maitake is
considered to have immunomodulation, anti-tumor, anti-diabetic, and cholesterol-lowering medical advantages.
The fourth of the maitake mushroom nutrition facts is that these fungi are the highest
source of vitamin D of all the edible mushrooms. There are 28.1 micrograms of
vitamin D estimated as 280 percent of the daily use for only 100 grams of maitake
mushroom. It is important to note that vitamin D is essential for bone development
and calcium and phosphate absorption.
Maitake is an excellent source of vitamin B-3, also named niacin. Niacin is
essential for DNA repair and the absorption of fat and carbohydrates.
When fresh maitake mushroom has comparably good amounts of folic acid.
Maitake has lots of B-complex groups of vitamins – riboflavin, thiamin, pantothenic
acid, and others.
Last but not least, maitake is a good source of minerals – copper, iron, zinc,
and phosphorus. There are 10 mg of magnesium in 100 grams of maitake mushroom.
There are 74 mg of phosphorus, 204 mg of potassium, and 2.2 micrograms of selenium.
Maitake mushroom is available as an extract in capsules offered by the online store
healthybodag.com. It is mainly used for immune system support, heart health, and
weight management. Maitake mushroom is 100 percent natural, bio, organic,
and vegan. There are no GMO ingredients! There are 120 capsules which are enough
for four months or two months depending on the customer's choice of the
recommended dose. Recommendation: 1 or 2 capsules per day with water during
the meal.