Mushroom Hunters in Western NC!

Now is the time to hit the NC woods to forage for mushrooms. NC stretches from the Atlantic westward to the Appalachians and, not surprisingly, this state has a LOT of mushrooms, possibly over 3000 different kinds. 

Some of our favorites include Chanterelles, Chicken of the Woods, Morels and at this time of the year, the Hen of the Woods or Maitake consumed widely in Asia, and used in traditional medicine to treat diabetes and hypertension. This beauty is a hallmark of fall in the North Carolina Piedmont, and it grows at the bases of very old oak trees. Its common name comes from the fact that it looks like a big feathery oversized hen. The color of this mushroom is tan to brown, and the tips of its feathers are darker than the interior. The underside of the little leaves of fungus are white. These are tasty and used by chefs in local restaurants.

Always be careful about eating wild mushrooms, do research, spore prints, etc before consuming any mushroom. Check out more info on wild mushrooms from The Asheville Mushroom Club in WNC.