Morphology

Hen of the woods is characterized by its coral-like shape. Its cap consists of folds and undulations resembling coral crests, and ranges in color from beige to brown and gray. The stem is relatively short, white, and edible. In nature, it tends to grow in large clusters that can weigh more than 20 kg, although at that stage the flesh becomes too tough.

Habitat / Distribution

Hen of the woods is a lignicolous fungus that grows in deciduous forests of temperate climates in the Northern Hemisphere, including Japan, China, North America, and much of Europe. In Catalonia, it grows on old chestnut and oak stumps in the Montseny massif. It can also be found in Galicia and other chestnut regions of the Iberian Peninsula.

Background

At Bolet Ben Fet, we began experimenting with its cultivation in 2005 to recover this valuable species and make it more accessible. Year after year, we have refined our methods to standardize its cultivation and maintain consistent, high-quality production.

Gastronomy

Its use is spreading in professional kitchens due to its aroma, flavor, and texture, which allow for many preparations: sautéed, marinated, stewed, roasted… A simple way to cook it is in the oven—no need to wash it, just add olive oil, salt, and a pinch of black pepper and bake it for 15 to 20 minutes at 160–180 ºC. Other recommended preparations include grilling, tempura-frying, or stuffing into cannelloni.

Properties

Hen of the woods is part of the trio of medicinal mushrooms in traditional Eastern medicine, along with reishi and shiitake. It contains active biomolecules like beta-glucans, vitamin precursors such as ergosterol, and antioxidants like ergothioneine.

Available formats

• 2.5 kg box
• 1 kg box
• 0.75 kg box
• 150 g punnets