Common names: Lions mane, Yamabusitake (jap.: mountain hidden mushroom), Pom-Pom blanc, hóu tóu gu (chin.: monkey’s head), nam dau khi, Norugongdengi-beoseot (vietnam.: deertail mushroom), monkey’s head, lion’s mane mushroom, bearded tooth mushroom, hedgehog mushroom, bearded hedgehog mushroom, pom pom mushroom, or bearded tooth fungus)
Natural habitat: The Lion’s Mane prefers dead hardwood such as oak, walnut, beech, maple, sycamore tree. Common during late summer and fall in deciduous forests of Europe, North America and Asia (in particular in China and Japan).
Hericium erinaceus is an edible mushroom and vital mushroom in the tooth fungus group. It can be identified by its tendency to grow all the spines out from one group (rather than branches), long spines and its appearance on hardwoods. Although it is growing in Europe, it is not well known.
For its unique delicious taste and the very decorative coral-like look the lion’s mane mushroom becomes more and more a sought component of nouvelle cuisine. It has been proven that Hericium contains potassium, zinc, iron, germanium, selenium, phosphorus, but only little sodium; in addition, all essential amino acids, as well as polysaccharides and polypeptides.