Maitake Mushroom Benefits (and Why You Need It!)

Enjoyable reality: I’ve an entire basket of mushroom coffees and drinks on my espresso bar. One of many powerhouse mushrooms you’ll discover in there may be maitake. 

This humble mushroom can also be referred to as “hen of the woods.” Its overlapping fronds resemble the feathers of a nesting hen, therefore the title. Over the centuries, maitake’s many advantages have sparked the curiosity of researchers and well being lovers alike. Not solely is it a medicinal mushroom, however its scrumptious umami taste makes it a prized culinary ingredient. 

What Are Maitake Mushrooms?  

The maitake mushroom, often known as Grifola frondosa, is an edible mushroom native to China. It additionally grows within the mountains of northeastern Japan, Europe, North America, and different elements of Asia. Moreover hen of the woods, one other frequent title for this mushroom is “sheep’s head.”

“Maitake” means dancing mushroom in Japanese. The title supposedly comes from folks dancing for pleasure upon discovering it. Folks have identified for hundreds of years how helpful this sort of mushroom is. It’s one of many mushroom varieties thought-about a “medicinal mushroom.” Maitake has an extended historical past of each culinary and medicinal use: “Let meals be thy medication.”

Vitamins in Maitake Mushrooms

Maitake mushrooms are a superb supply of amino acids, B nutritional vitamins, vitamin D, phosphorus, and potassium. Additionally they present dietary fiber to feed helpful intestine micro organism. Their cell partitions are wealthy in anti-inflammatory beta-glucans that assist help the immune system.