Maitake Mushroom: Nutrition & Benefits
Frilly, layered mushroom with a rich, earthy flavour, also called Hen of the Woods.
Maitake (Grifola frondosa), also called Hen of the Woods for its frilly, feather-like clusters, grows in large layered bunches at the base of oak trees rather than as individual mushrooms. Its Japanese name translates to "dancing mushroom": reportedly because foragers who stumbled on it in the wild would dance at its value.
It sits between the purely culinary and purely medicinal mushrooms on this list: it's genuinely a rich, earthy-tasting cooking ingredient, but its beta-glucan content (called D-fraction in supplement marketing) also drives a lot of wellness-market interest.
Maitake mushroom nutrition facts (per 100g)
Maitake mushroom nutrition per 100g is around 31 kcal, 1.9g protein, 2.7g fibre and 204mg potassium, with a Medium vitamin D rating that, like shiitake, rises further with sun-drying.
Maitake mushroom benefits
- A genuine culinary mushroom with a rich, earthy flavour, not just an extract-only wellness ingredient.
- Medium vitamin D potential, especially when sun-dried, similar to shiitake.
- 2.7g fibre per 100g at a modest calorie count.
- Beta-glucan content (marketed as "D-fraction") is an area of ongoing early research interest in the wellness space.
How to use maitake mushroom
Roasts and pan-sears well in whole clusters (giving it a crisp, frilly texture), and works in stir-fries, soups and grain bowls.
Trivia
Its Japanese name means "dancing mushroom," reportedly because foragers who found it in the wild danced with joy at its value.
Frequently asked questions
It's a genuinely flavourful cooking mushroom with 2.7g fibre per 100g and a Medium vitamin D rating that rises with sun-drying, and it's also studied in wellness circles for its beta-glucan ("D-fraction") content, an area of early, ongoing research.