Vegetables and mushrooms · IFCT 2017
Chicken mushroom: nutrition per 100 g
Per 100 g, fresh chicken mushroom gives 21 kcal, 1.8 g protein, 2.8 g carbohydrate and 2.0 g fibre, according to IFCT 2017. Its standout is thiamine: 0.37 mg per 100 g ranks 1st of 39 vegetables and 24th of 239 foods, about a fifth of an adult's daily need. This bright orange bracket fungus is foraged rather than farmed, so safe identification matters.
About chicken mushroom
Chicken mushroom, a Laetiporus species, grows as overlapping orange and sulphur-yellow shelves on the trunks of living and dead trees. Its soft, young edges have a firm, stringy texture that cooks up rather like chicken, which gives it the name chicken of the woods. In India it is found in Himalayan and north-eastern forests and is gathered in the monsoon by forest communities. IFCT 2017 records names in 13 languages, mostly general words for mushroom, though the Khasi name, tit tyndong, is specific.
Only the tender outer margins are eaten; the older, inner parts turn woody and sour. Foragers in Meghalaya, Manipur, Sikkim and the Himachal and Uttarakhand hills cook it simply: sliced and fried with garlic, chilli and mustard oil, simmered into a curry with potato, or added to a meat stew. It is rarely sold in city markets.
What chicken mushroom brings to a meal
- 01
Top vegetable for thiamine
Chicken mushroom carries 0.37 mg thiamine per 100 g, 1st of 39 vegetables. In 100 g, a man gets 21 per cent of his thiamine need and a woman 22 per cent. Thiamine helps the body release energy from carbohydrate.
- 02
Potassium and niacin
Each 100 g supplies 340 mg potassium, 10th of 39 vegetables, and 1.45 mg niacin. Niacin, like thiamine, takes part in turning food into energy.
- 03
Copper and zinc
The mushroom has 0.42 mg copper and 0.55 mg zinc per 100 g. Copper helps the body use iron, and zinc supports growth and wound healing.
- 04
Light, but low in much else
At 21 kcal per 100 g, chicken mushroom is very light, with 1.8 g protein. It ranks near the bottom of 39 vegetables for calcium, 5 mg, and vitamin C, 0.5 mg.
Chicken mushroom nutrition facts per 100 g
Every value IFCT 2017 reports for the edible portion, with the share of an adult's daily need that 100 g covers where ICMR-NIN sets a requirement.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Adult man | Adult woman |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy and macronutrients | |||
| Energy | 21 kcal | 1% | 1% |
| Protein | 1.8 g | 3% | 4% |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 2.8 g | ||
| Dietary fibre | 2 g | ||
| Free sugars | 0.1 g | ||
| Total fat | 0.2 g | ||
| Water | 92.4 g | ||
| Fats | |||
| Saturated fat | 0.06 g | ||
| Monounsaturated fat | 0 g | ||
| Polyunsaturated fat | 0.14 g | ||
| Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) | 26 mg | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | ||
| Minerals | |||
| Calcium | 5 mg | 1% | 1% |
| Iron | 0.3 mg | 2% | 1% |
| Zinc | 0.55 mg | 3% | 4% |
| Magnesium | 11 mg | 3% | 3% |
| Phosphorus | 80 mg | ||
| Potassium | 340 mg | ||
| Sodium | 10 mg | ||
| Copper | 0.42 mg | ||
| Vitamins | |||
| Vitamin C | 0.5 mg | 1% | 1% |
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.37 mg | 21% | 22% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.06 mg | 2% | 3% |
| Niacin (B3) | 1.45 mg | 8% | 10% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.11 mg | 5% | 6% |
| Folate (B9) | 11 µg | 4% | 5% |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 0.02 mg | ||
| Vitamin K1 | 16.3 µg | ||
Values per 100 g of the edible portion. Source: Longvah T, Ananthan R, Bhaskarachary K, Venkaiah K. Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad. Daily-need shares use the ICMR-NIN 2020 recommended dietary allowances for a 65 kg man and a 55 kg woman doing sedentary work (ICMR-NIN brief note). Nutrients IFCT did not analyse for this food are left out rather than shown as zero.
Cite this page
NNWA Nutrition and Wellness Academy. Chicken mushroom: nutrition per 100 g. Data: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. https://nnwa.in/foods/vegetables/chicken-mushroom/
Where chicken mushroom sits among Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g against the other 38 vegetables and mushrooms and every food in the tables.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | In vegetables and mushrooms | Among all foods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.37 mg | 1st of 39 | 23rd of 239 |
| Potassium | 340 mg | 10th of 39 | 112th of 243 |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.06 mg | 14th of 39 | 121st of 241 |
| Vitamin C | 0.5 mg | 36th of 36 | 128th of 130 |
| Zinc | 0.55 mg | 11th of 39 | 130th of 243 |
How chicken mushroom is eaten
- Fried with garlic and green chilli in mustard oil until the edges crisp, as forest families in the north-east cook it.
- Simmered with potato, onion and tomato into a simple monsoon curry.
- Added to a pork or chicken stew with ginger, so it soaks up the broth.
- Sliced thin and stir-fried with spring onion and soy sauce in the Indo-Chinese style.
- Chopped and cooked into a mushroom bhurji with onion and turmeric.
Before you plan around it
Chicken mushroom must always be cooked thoroughly; raw or undercooked, it commonly causes nausea, vomiting and stomach pain. Even cooked, some people react to it, so first-timers should eat only a small portion. Specimens growing on yew, eucalyptus or other trees with toxic compounds are best avoided. Because it is foraged, it should be picked only by someone who can identify it with certainty, since mistakes with wild mushrooms can be fatal. Use only the soft, young margins.
Food composition is general information, not a diet plan. Anyone managing a medical condition should plan their diet with a doctor or a registered dietitian.
What people ask about chicken mushroom
Is chicken mushroom safe to eat?
Correctly identified, young chicken mushroom is a known edible fungus, but it must be cooked thoroughly, and a minority of people react to it even then. Start with a small portion. Never eat wild mushrooms that have not been identified by an expert.
Why is it called chicken mushroom?
Its young, tender flesh is firm and stringy and tastes mild, so when cooked it resembles chicken in texture. In English it is also called chicken of the woods or sulphur shelf because of its bright yellow-orange colour.
Is chicken mushroom high in protein?
No. Despite the name, IFCT 2017 lists only 1.8 g protein per 100 g of fresh chicken mushroom. Its notable nutrient is thiamine, 0.37 mg per 100 g, the highest among vegetables in the tables.
Related foods and tables
Button mushroom
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Oyster mushroom (dried)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Shiitake mushroom
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Bamboo shoot
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Spring onion
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Thiamine (vitamin B1) content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by thiamine (vitamin b1) per 100 g.
Potassium content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by potassium per 100 g.
Riboflavin (vitamin B2) content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by riboflavin (vitamin b2) per 100 g.
All vegetables and mushrooms
39 foods in this group, compared.
Learn to use this data
Certification in Nutrition
Reading food composition tables and turning them into meal plans is taught in this NNWA course.