May is the time when this species appears quite often in mainly deciduous forests, sometimes in parks. The first time I saw this mushroom, I thought it looked like a piece of sulfur rock.

And indeed, its name refers to sulfur, because this fungus in Poland functions as Sulfur Yellow. But my even greater surprise was the fact that the mushroom is an edible species, and very tasty! Due to its color and taste reminiscent of chicken meat, it is called "chicken of the woods".

And what can be made of such a shapeless yellow mass?

For example, it is perfect for making minced patties, coated in breadcrumbs and pan-fried. Sulphur polypore can be fried, stewed, boiled, pickled, etc. The recipe is at the bottom of the post.

Sulphur polypore belongs to the species of hubaceae and is an arboreal fungus. Its fruiting bodies grow laterally to the base of the tree. The size of the fruit body is difficult to determine because its shape is often irregular, sometimes fan-shaped, semicircular, flat, but it is assumed to be 5 to 30 cm in diameter.

The color of the mushroom ranges from yellow to orange, with the older mushrooms being a lighter color, often white-gray or whitish. The surface is matte, suede, and the edges are slightly curled, wavy and rounded. Individual fungi grow on each other in a tile-like manner.

The pores and tubes are sulfur-yellow in color, they are tight with the flesh. The flesh may be yellow, whitish, cream, sometimes salmon in color. The thickness may be up to 3 cm.

The flesh of a young mushroom is very soft, fleshy, juicy with a slightly sour taste. In old age it becomes brittle, brittle and light, and its smell and taste are sour and unpleasant, then it is no longer suitable for consumption.

The mushroom is quite common, but as with most mushrooms, you need to know when and where to look for it. It appears in early May and grows until September. It grows on old, damaged trees. Most often it can be found on deciduous trees, oaks, alders, poplars, willows, sometimes in pear, plum and nut orchards. Often on roadside trees in parks.

Sulphur polypore is a parasite. It attacks trees very quickly. The mycelium attacks the core of the tree and turns it into a brittle brown substance. It is the so-called brown rot which causes it to die after just a few years.

Enjoy 😉