That's some really helpful info. Thanks! I'll be going to check on the (hopefully) lion's mane later this week. I know right where it is. 😀
I've never had an interest in mushrooms before we moved here recently; since I don't think of myself as a mushroom lover I've never taken the time. But wow, they're awesome to observe growing over time! And I've never eaten any other types than supermarket button generics (gross), so there's an entire unexplored culinary world out there waiting for me to research.
We lived in the NW for decades before we moved here, so I foraged lots of berries and flowers that I knew for certain, and made Doug Fir tea whenever we went camping. That's about the extent of my wildcrafting skills, so definite room for improvement.
I'll be honest, there's only a few really delicious mushrooms... most of them either don't taste like much on their own or they have a rather unpleasant texture... often both! They're still very healthy though, so there's that at least.
I have rarely ever eaten foraged mushrooms because it's just so much of a hassle to pick enough good ones and then make sure each one is free of pests or mold or what-not. Most mushrooms quickly become a breeding ground for little larvae so you might end up throwing most of what you've collected out in the end... at least that's my experience so far.