Shaggy, snow-white and unlike anything else in the veg aisle, lion’s mane is the mushroom everyone seems to be talking about. With UK Fungus Day, the British Mycological Society’s annual celebration of all things fungal, only just behind us, it feels like the right moment to talk about it properly: what it is, how to grow it at home, and how to turn it into a proper dinner. There’s also a native British cousin for anyone who prefers a less juicy mushroom.
What is lion’s mane?
Lion’s mane (Hericium erinaceus) looks nothing like the classic cap mushrooms you know. Instead of gills, it grows as a soft, cascading cluster of white spines, which is how it earned names like bearded tooth and pom-pom mushroom. In the wild it grows on hardwood trees and is rare in the UK, which makes growing your own the realistic way to get hold of it.
The flavour is mild, savoury and slightly sweet, with a tender, meaty bite. Shred it and it falls apart into soft, flaky strands. We often use it in place of chicken, and it’s one of the gourmet varieties we grow on our own farm, so we’ve cooked a lot of it.
Lion’s mane benefits? The honest answer
You’ll have seen lion’s mane everywhere lately, in teas, coffees, supplements and gummies. It’s all the rage. But none of the claims made for it have been proven yet, research is ongoing, and in the UK no health claims for lion’s mane are authorised, so we won’t be making any.
What we’re about is putting a good, substantial and delicious dinner on your plate. And that’s where lion’s mane really steps up.
Lion’s mane mushroom recipes: dinner, sorted
Lion’s mane is meaty, takes on flavour beautifully and holds a golden sear, which is why it works as the centre of a meal rather than a side. One tip first: it doesn't need washing, it soaks up any cooking juices or oils like a sponge, so cook it in a dry pan first to drive off the moisture.
- Lion’s mane steak: cut a thick slice, dry-fry it, then add butter and press it down with a heavy pan until golden. Finish with a spicy rub, or simple herbs and serve on mash with a mustard sauce.
- Pulled lion’s mane: shred it with two forks into soft, flaky strands, toss in smoky barbecue sauce and pile into a toasted bun with slaw.
- A chicken swap: tear or shred it for a creamy pie, a stir-fry or a pasta sauce, where the strands soak up all the flavour.
Keen to grow your own? Try our lion’s mane growing kit
Our lion’s mane growing kit arrives ready to grow, so there’s no spawn to mix and no substrate to prepare. Your lion’s mane mushroom doesn’t need darkness - it likes the light, so a kitchen offers the right environment and temperature it likes, at any time of the year. You’ll need a spray bottle or mister to keep the humidity up, and you can expect a couple of flushes per kits, try for 3, and if still happy and healthy, possible a 4th flush.
Your kit instructions walk you through each step, including misting and when to pick. As a rule of thumb, harvest while the spines are short and the mushroom is still firm and a creamy white.
Prefer the long game? Lion’s mane also grows on hardwood logs. It’s slower, fruiting around 18-24 months after inoculation in spring and/or autumn, and it needs more dowels drilled closer together than other varieties. A log will keep fruiting for years, though. Our outdoor growing guide covers it.
Not keen on a succulent mushroom? Meet the coral tooth
If a juicy mushroom isn’t for you, we also have the coral tooth (Hericium coralloides), lion’s mane’s native British cousin. Where lion’s mane grows as one shaggy pom-pom, coral tooth grows as a branching, coral-like cluster, with long, delicate white spines hanging from the branches like fine icicles. It’s a lighter, more delicate eat, and in the wild it turns up on dead and dying hardwood in UK woodland, beech especially. It’s a rare sight, so growing it is the best way to meet it. Find the coral tooth here.
Ready to grow your own?
Whether you want a steak-style centrepiece for the dinner table or you’re simply curious, these two mushrooms are worth getting to know. Our lion’s mane growing kit is a simple place to start, and our recipe page is full of ideas for your harvest.
Mush love,
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