Reshi- Mannentake

 We went on a short foraging hike yesterday . Our main objective was to check on a large patch of nanny berries and see how ripe they are.That was a big disappointment. The drought has taken it's toll on the nannies, there were almost no berries on the bushes.  Our next stop was a area that has had hen of the woods fruiting under several large oaks there in past years. Hen of the woods is a fabulous mushroom and besides tasting great, they are huge. Not this year though, none to be found although we will check for them again if we get a rain. While there we did find this large bunch of Varnish Conk.This variety is Ganoderma tsugae, which always grows on Eastern Hemlock in our area. It has a more famous relative, Ganoderma lucidum, commonly called by it's Japanese name, Reshi. The G. tsugae is called Mannentake in Japan and both of these are used medicinally.Their main difference is that the G. lucidum only grows on hardwoods, usually maple in our area. My understanding is that they are interchangeable as far as medicinal use goes. I have not used this mushroom but it does have a very enticing aroma. It is to tough to be eaten and is used as a tea.