Caution - This page is for educational and entertainment purposes only. You should not eat wild mushrooms.
I have to undo an injustice.
Dryad’s Saddle (a.k.a. Pheasant Back) is the most hated mushroom on the internet (among U.S. foraging groups, at least). Sadly, it’s kinda the mushroom’s own fault. It starts appearing in the early spring, the same time foragers compete to gather their favorite backwoods delicacy, the great Morel. The Saddle’s abundance, flashy appearance, and nice aroma inevitably piques the interest of the beginner forager, but chances are the specimen that they choose to bring home will cook down into a soggy old hat in a puddle of butter. Its unfortunate seasonal timing, regional juxtaposition, and tight harvesting window have turned poor Cerioporus squamosus into a punchline for mushroom haters.
