Bear’s Head mushrooms grow in medium to large, compact, clusters that look like fungal icicles hanging from the trunk of a tree. The mushroom averages 15-30 centimeters in diameter and has white, soft, smooth spines drooping downward from a thick, branched body. When sliced, the various branches are exposed, and as the mushroom matures, its spines transform from white to pale yellow becoming bitter and unpleasant in taste. When picked young and cooked, Bear’s Head mushrooms are tender and meaty with a mild, nutty taste and a sweet and fragrant seafood-like undertone, similar to lobster or crab.
