Great for meatless dishes, with a texture like chicken – reconstitute dried Chicken of the Woods in chicken or pork boullion for a meat substitute. Can also be sliced thin and fried in butter with a little smoke flavoring for meatless bacon. The TOUGH parts can be dried and ground for seasoning.

We know of four varieties of this mushroom, and they are similar, but different in distinctive ways.

• Sulphureus – The more common darker orange variety which grows on vertical trees. This variety can cause reactions in some people, and it toughens with age, so only the outside edges are usually palatable.
• Cincinnatus – Less common, most commonly grows on rotting wood that is buried in the ground, and tends to grow in a rosette. We looked long and hard for this variety, specifically because it is more tender and easier to use than the other varieties. It is also less likely to cause a reaction than the darker varieties.
• Conifericola - Grows on conifers, but is the most likely of the three to cause reactions in people who are sensitive. It is also the least flavorful of the four strains. Fairly thin and grows in clusters of smaller leaves.
• Gilbertsonii - Grows on hardwoods, and is very like Cincinnatus in flavor and color. Thicker than other Laetiporus mushrooms. Grows high on trees, and grays out with age.

Pick when immature, or trim off outer edges, and use the tender parts only. Dried Chicken of the Woods may be reconstituted and used in soups, or fried.

Can be used for vegetarian chicken and bacon dishes. Some varieties have a meaty flavor, and are a good meat substitute for vegan dishes.

They also may have some unique health benefits:

• Laetiporus cincinnatus – May help reduce absorption of nutrients by cancer cells.
• Laetiporus conifericola - May help rejuvenate gray hair folicles.
• Laetiporus sulphureus – May help reduce sceborrhetic keratoses.
• Laetiporus gilbertsonii - Same benefits as conifericola.