Pleurotus ostreatus the oyster mushroom, is a common edible mushroom. It was first cultivated in Germany as a subsistence measure during World War I and is now grown commercially around the world for food.
Uses
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Used for food. It is related to the similarly cultivated king oyster mushroom.
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Oyster mushrooms can also be used industrially for mycoremediation purposes.
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The oyster mushroom is one of the more commonly sought wild mushrooms, though it can also be cultivated on straw and other media. It has the bittersweet aroma of benzaldehyde (which is also characteristic of bitter almonds)
Benefits
- Culinary benefit:The oyster mushroom is frequently used in Japanese, Korean and Chinese cookery as a delicacy. It is frequently served on its own, in soups, stuffed, or in stir-fry recipes with soy sauce. Oyster mushrooms are sometimes made into a sauce, used in Asian cooking, which is similar to oyster sauce. The mushroom’s taste has been described as mild with a slight odor similar to anise. The oyster mushroom is best when picked young; as the mushroom ages, the flesh becomes tough and the flavor becomes acrid and unpleasant.Oyster mushrooms are widely cultivated and used in Kerala, India where a wide variety of dishes are prepared from them. Oyster mushrooms are mainly cultivated in large clear polyethylene bags with buns of hay layered in the bags, and spawn sown between the layers.Oyster mushrooms are also used in the Czech and Slovak contemporary cuisine in soups and stews in a similar fashion to meat.
Oyster mushrooms contain small amounts of arabitol, a sugar alcohol, which may cause gastrointestinal upset in some people.
- Other benefits:One manufacturer has proposed using the mycelium along with the growing substrate as a substitute for petroleum derived expanded polystyrene packing material or as an insulating material. Researchers in Mexico have shown that oyster mushrooms can break down disposable diapers.One preliminary study showed that consumption of oyster mushroom extracts lowered cholesterol levels, an effect linked to their content of beta-glucans.Oyster mushrooms produce the cholesterol lowering drug lovastatin
Cautions
Please consult your pharmacist.
Interactions
n/a
Other names
oyster mushroom
References
Source: Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleurotus_ostreatus