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Wild edible Beefsteak Mushroom, Fistulina hepatica, starting to re-emerge after a month of cooler temps. Looking like an...
09/13/2026

Wild edible Beefsteak Mushroom, Fistulina hepatica, starting to re-emerge after a month of cooler temps. Looking like an organ meat (hepatica referring to its “liver-likeness”) or wet “ox tongue” in the crevices of oak and other hardwoods, it is considered an uncommon choice edible. I’ve enjoyed these both raw (young beefsteaks, in moderation) and cooked, especially when given a fast hard sear, it’s edges developing a steak-like crust. It’s best known for its marbled meat appearance and tendency to “bleed” red when punctured.
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Here come the rooster… the wild edible Black-Staining Polypore, that is: Meripilus sumstinei!These recent storms have ju...
08/04/2026

Here come the rooster… the wild edible Black-Staining Polypore, that is: Meripilus sumstinei!

These recent storms have jumpstarted a wide variety of summer fungi, including the “Rooster” of the woods! I get lots of messages requesting ID of this species every year as many budding foragers confuse it with the Hen of the Woods, Grifola frondosa. It’s a good example of how even the so-called “foolproof” macrofungi can have lookalikes.

This mushroom gets its more common name from the way the edges turn black as it begins to die back. Many chefs I know have come to love Meripilus almost as much as the autumn Hen/Maitake if not more so. My early years were spent making large amounts of meripilus mushroom jerky given how plentiful it tends to grow and how well it becomes a canvas for vigorous flavoring without losing its own.

While it can grow into massive assemblages, I prefer to harvest smaller, more delicate batches like the one in my hand, before it has become a home to critters and while its pore structure is clean and bright. How do you like to use this mushroom?

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