Chicken mushrooms!

Driving back from breakfast this morning when I spotted something very interesting growing on the trunk of a tree along the roadside.

Lunch! Or a potential lunch, courtesy of Mother Nature and a handful of rainy days.An edible mushroom common in this area, “laetiporus” is a genus of edible mushrooms that are not only pretty, but also wonderfully tasty.

The locals call it, “chicken of the woods” or the “chicken mushroom”. In no way does it resemble a chicken, but to many people, it tastes like chicken, hence the name.

Cut carefully from the tree trunk, brought home and sautéed, the chicken mushroom really takes on a smoky, almost spicy taste. And many vegetarians use the chicken mushroom as a meat substitute; a very delicious, satisfying one. It can be cooked much in the same way chicken is cooked, so is a popular meat substitute. Very yummy!