Hericium erinaceus
Preparation and Serving Suggestions:
Do not wash this mushroom. Just slice and sauté in butter, oil, or flavored broth. Use as a substitute in recipes for veal or lobster.
The Pom Pom mushroom is a delicate white sphere with soft spines and no stem. It has a mild, sweet taste and pleasant texture that have been compared to lobster or very tender veal. Its appearance has earned it many interesting common names including Monkey's Head, Lion's Mane, Bear's Head, Old Man's Beard, and Satyr's Beard. Among its other medicinal benefits, pom pom is best known for its traditional use in treating ailments of the stomach and digestive tract, as well as nervous system disorders.
Reported Health Benefits:
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, pom pom mushrooms are used for the following:
* Ailments of the stomach and digestive tract
* Improving and protecting liver functions and immunity
* Restoring the body's natural strength
* Refreshes the breath
* Reduces cholesterol
* Relieves gastric and duodenal ulcers and gastric infections
* Inhibits cancers and tumors
* Nerve tonic
Selected References:
Chinese-English Manual of Common Plants in Traditional Chinese Medicine 1989; pg. 602-603.
Grygansky, A. P., et al. 2001. Hericium erinaceus (Bull.:Fr.) Pers. Extract Effect on Nerve Cells. Perspectives of Medicinal Mushrooms in Healthcare and Nutrition in the 21st Century. 12-14 September Kiev, Ukraine. Abstract in International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms 3(2-3). Pg. 152.
Hobbs, Christopher, L. Ac. 1995. Medicinal Mushrooms, an Exploration of Tradition, Healing, and Culture; Botanica Press, Santa Cruz, CA pg. 194
Mizuno, Takashi, et al. 1992. Antitumor-active polysaccharides Isolated from the fruiting body of Hericium erinaceum, an edible mushroom called Yamabushitake or Houtou. Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry; 56(2) 347-348
Mizuno, Takashi. 1995. Yambushitake, Hericium erinaceus: bioactive substances and medicinal utilization. Food Rev Int 11(1) 173-178
Mizuno, Takashi. 1999. Bioactive Substances in Hericium erinaceus (Bull.:Fr.)Pers. (Yamabushitake), and its Medicinal Utilization. Int J of Med Mushrooms. Vol. 1(2): 105-120
Wasser, S.P. and A.L. Weis. 1999. Medicinal Properties of Substances Occurring in higher basidiomycetes Mushrooms: Current Perspectives (Review). Int J of Med Mushrooms. Vol. 1(1): 31-62
Xu, C.P., et al. 1985. A double blind study of effectiveness of Hericium erinaceus pers therapy on chronic atrophic gastritis, a preliminary report. Chinese MedicalJournal (English); June 98(6) 455-456