Shaggy mane, or Coprinus comatus, is an edible mushroom with a distinctive appearance and texture. It can be found in many parts of the world and is popular in soups and stews. It is best eaten in the button stage before the gills curl up, and can be identified by its scaly, hairy appearance. It is sometimes used in vegetarian dishes to mimic the texture of fish.
Shaggy mane, also known as a lawyer’s wig, is a type of edible mushroom found in many parts of the world. The mushroom has a very distinctive appearance along with a number of clear identifying characteristics which make it popular with mushroom hunters. The shaggy mane can be used in a variety of cooked dishes, including soups and stews, because the mushroom is quite robust. Some people have reported an adverse reaction when consuming tousled manes with alcohol, so be careful.
Scientifically, the shaggy mane is known as Coprinus comatus. It is among a family of ink-stained fungi that have a dark spore print when young and degrade into ink as they age. Older manes can be easily identified by the appearance of the gills, which are crumpled and appear to be bleeding into ink. Unfortunately, a shaggy mane isn’t very tasty at this stage. The mushroom is most flavorful when eaten in the button stage, before the gills have started to curl up.
In the button stage, the shaggy mane can grow to nearly three inches (six centimeters) tall. The mushroom resembles a wig on a stand due to the scaly growth on the outside of the mushroom which gives it a hairy appearance. As the mushroom ages, the gills slowly curl further away from the stem and turn black, making identification of the mushroom very easy. For this reason, people looking for manes to eat will often keep an eye out for an area of older mushrooms, looking for younger edible buttons to harvest.
The hairy mane prefers disturbed soil and wood chips. Mushrooms often sprout from meadows or appear along roadsides. In addition to appearing throughout North America, the shaggy mane can also be found in many parts of Europe. The mushrooms tend to proliferate after heavy rain and often grow in huge colonies.
The shaggy mane has a texture that many cooks tell them fishy. For this reason, the mushroom is sometimes used in vegetarian dinners to approximate the feel of fish, and can be steamed or cooked after being marinated in a variety of sauces. Because of the high moisture content, the mushroom doesn’t do well in the pan, though it does well in soups, stews, and sauces. The shaggy mane’s flavor is mild and woody, making it very popular with some diners.
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