Oyster Mushrooms
The oyster mushrooms certainly lives up to its name. The wide, flat caps have almost no stalk, making them look like oysters attached to tree trunks. They have a mild taste with a very faint oyster flavor and a slight anise aroma.
Oyster mushrooms are among the most common edible mushrooms. Though they had been foraged in the wild in Asia for some time, they were first cultivated in Germany during World War I. Today, oyster mushrooms are grown commercially around the world.
Often considered a delicacy, oyster mushrooms are prominent in Japanese, Korean and Chinese cuisine. It has a noticeably chewy texture, making it more suitable for cooked dishes, especially soups and stir-fries. Try sautéing oyster mushrooms with chopped onions and a few splashes of soy sauce for a simple, healthy side dish.
The oyster mushroom has so many health benefits, it can be considered a medicinal mushroom. It contains statins, like lovastatin, which have been shown to reduce cholesterol. It contains high levels of vitamins and minerals like fiber, iron and vitamins B1 and B2. It’s also an excellent meat substitute, offering up high quality protein as good as any animal source.
Oyster mushrooms grow in clusters and range in color from off-white to shades of brown. They’re best when they’re picked young; the older they get, the tougher and more unpleasant the flavor. Purchase oyster mushrooms from grocery stores or farmer’s markets instead of trying to forage for your own. Incorrectly identifying the fungus can lead to a whole host of dangerous ailments.
Source: www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov, www.fungusamongus.com, www.wikipedia.org
Image by Shawn Baker under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.
The oyster mushrooms certainly lives up to its name. The wide, flat caps have almost no stalk, making them look like oysters attached to tree trunks. They have a mild taste with a very faint oyster flavor and a slight anise aroma.
Oyster mushrooms are among the most common edible mushrooms. Though they had been foraged in the wild in Asia for some time, they were first cultivated in Germany during World War I. Today, oyster mushrooms are grown commercially around the world.
Often considered a delicacy, oyster mushrooms are prominent in Japanese, Korean and Chinese cuisine. It has a noticeabl..
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