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Up until recently, most people had little appreciation of mushrooms except if they happened to be a pizza topping or found in a cream soup. For the most part, we stick to eating only the mushrooms we’re most familiar with—including button mushrooms, cremini/portobello, chanterelle, oyster, and shiitake. Quite reasonably, it seems, because there are some mushrooms you should not be touching in the first place because they can be highly toxic and a mere nibble can do you much harm. On the other hand, there are mushrooms that bring benefits to the health. One such mushroom is the fan-shaped coriolus versicolor, an edible polypore mushroom. Nicknamed the “turkey tail” due to its appearance, which is reminiscent of a turkey’s tail, the coriolus versicolor is distinctive in that it lacks a stalk and it comes in different colors (hence the scientific suffix versicolor that means “of several colors”). The fungus is common enough to be found all around the world, and it grows primarily on dead wood. The coriolus versicolor is woody in texture, meaning, the mushroom is a challenge to bite—more so, chew. Submerging it in water makes little difference, as the fungi takes on a leathery texture. Those who consume turkey tail typically just brew it into a tea or boil the mushrooms as base for a soup—removing them before serving. While it is edible, the mushroom has also seen use as a natural dye. Textiles and paper dipped in a coriolus solution take on a rich brown hue. Certain distillations of the turkey tail dye can also result in a curious shade of blue. Of its efficacy as a remedy, science has yet to delve deep within the coriolus. Some studies have citied its therapeutic and soothing properties when imbibed as a tea, but nothing medicinally proven as of now. What is known is that the mushroom is rich in Polysaccharide-K or Krestin, which can potentially boost the immune system.* Research on the turkey tail continues to this day and, perhaps someday, science can prove its true medicinal worth. But until then, those who swear by its health benefits say there’s much to be gained by drinking it as a soup or tea—you’re sure to start feeling an improvement in your overall wellbeing. More basic facts about the benefits of coriolus versicolor can be read at mushroom-collecting.com/mushroomturkey.html.
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