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Laetiporus conifericola

Chicken of the Woods

Laetiporus is so bright yellow and orange, it could be a flat pumpkin growing on a tree! This mushroom is easy to spot at a distance when it is just fruiting and requires some reach on tree trunks where it lives.  The layers of mushroom are most tender for eating if just the first inch or so of the fruiting conk are sliced off. Sometimes the flavor is very strong, sometimes mild, but after it is slowly cooked, the result can be similar to chicken in texture, but not flavor. 

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