Latin Name: Grifola frondosa. Also known as Hen-of-the-Woods, Kumotake, and Dancing Butterfly Mushroom

Topics: Natural Habitat and Biology | Storage |
Flavor, Preparationa & Cooking | Nutritional Information |
Medicinal Properties | Immune Stimulants | Cultivation | Recipe

Read also these articles on,
"Mushrooms: Food and Medicine" and
Recent Medical Research on
Mushroom Health Effects

Natural Habitat and Biology: Maitake mushrooms have multiple, fleshy, petal-like, overlapping fruit bodies that arise from a common base. Color in different strains range from dark grey brown to light tan. In nature, maitake is found growing on dead or dying deciduous hardwoods in northern temperate forests.

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Storage: Keep refrigerated. Golden Gourmet Maitake has a long shelf-life of over 30 days when stored at refrigerator temperatures. This remarkable shelf-life is a result of cultivation technique, a superior mushroom strain, and packaging.

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Flavor, Preparation and Cooking: Maitake has a robust, earthy flavor and fragrance. This very versatile mushroom can be prepared in many ways including stir-fry, sautee and baked. Tempura-battered, deep-fried maitake is very popular in Japan.

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Nutritional Content:

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Medicinal Properties: Maitake is considered to be a powerful medicinal mushroom. Research has shown maitake extracts to have significant activity against the HIV (AIDS) virus. Maitake contains many medicinally active long-chain polysaccharide compounds including grifolan (molecular weight of nearly 1,000,000) which have strong immunostimulatory and/or immune system modulating effects in humans. Maitake has been demonstrated to have anti-tumorial activity especially against breast, prostrate and collorectal tumors. Research indicates that maitake can be an aid in modulating glucose levels in diabetic patients. Maitake has been attracting considerable attention from the pharmaceutical industry in Asia and more recently, in the USA. Maitake is often used as an ingredient in many nutriceutical formulations, herbal supplements and healthy teas.

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Cultivation: Golden Gourmet Mushroom's Maitake is grown in re-usable, polypropylene bottles indoors in temperature and humidity controlled rooms using techniques developed by Japanese cultivators. The mushroom is cultivated on an organic mixture of hardwood sawdust supplemented with bran, minerals and other nutritious ingredients. This substrate (growing media) is autoclaved (sterilized with steam and pressure) before being inoculated (planted) with a pure culture of a propriatary strain of Maitake with excellent qualities.

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Topics: Natural Habitat and Biology | Storage |
Flavor, Preparationa & Cooking | Nutritional Information |
Medicinal Properties | Immune Stimulants | Cultivation | Recipe

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