Hericium erinaceus | Lion’s mane culture

Dish Culture | Hericium erinaceus | Lions Mane | PDA Substrate (Potato Dextrose Agar).

Scientific name: Hericium erinaceus

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)

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).

Appropriate substrate: Hardwood (mostly oak, beech, birch, walnut, maple)

Usage: Edible mushroom, vital mushroom

Hericium erinaceus (also called monkey’s head, lion’s mane mushroom, bearded tooth mushroom, hedgehog mushroom, bearded hedgehog mushroom, pom pom mushroom, or bearded tooth fungus) 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.

Hericipin is an active component of The Lion’s Mane mushroom. It induces the synthesis of nerve growth factor. Hericipin is used in healing of intelligence declining, neurasthena and the declining of automotive nerve, especially showing effectiveness to Alzheimer type dementia.

Taxonomy:

Class: Basidiomycetes

Divison: Agaricomycetidae

Order: Russulales

Familiy: Hericiaceae

Genus: Hericium erinaceus