Maitake (Grifola frondosa), also known as hen of the woods, grows in layered, overlapping clusters of flattened brown-grey fronds with pale edges — a form that gives it its English common name, as the ruffled mass loosely resembles the feathers of a sitting bird. The Japanese name maitake translates as “dancing mushroom,” said to come from the joy of finding one in the wild. These are cultivated specimens sourced from Nepal and China, giving year-round availability.