maitake
/mʌɪˈtɑːkeɪ
/(also maitake mushroom)
noun
An edible mushroom that grows in large clusters on ageing trees and fallen timber, cultivated in Japan and China for food and as a dietary supplement for its supposed beneficial effects on the immune system.
- Grifola frondosa, family Meripilaceae, class Agaricomycetes.
- You don't need to be a vegetarian to love Moscatello's mushroom dish, which currently consists of maitake mushrooms next to a long plank of salsify.
- This past year, maitake, oyster and morels were easier to find.
Origin
Late 19th century: Japanese, from mai, 'dancing', with reference to the happiness that would have resulted from finding one of these in the wild + take 'mushroom'.