Oyster mushroom - Photo by A.Bower
The Oyster mushroom is an edible mushroom species which was first cultivated in Germany during World War I. Nowadays it is used worldwide. It can be collected from the wild or it can be cultivated commercially on straw and other media.
Note that some other Pleurotus species are sometimes also called Oyster mushrooms.
Names
Scientific
Pleurotus ostreatus
English
Grey oyster mushroom
Oyster mushroom
Tree oyster mushroom
Dutch
Gewone oesterzwam
Spanish
Champiñón ostra
Gírgola
French
Pleurote en huître
German
Austernseitling
Taxonomy
Genus
Pleurotus
Family
Pleurotaceae
Order
Agaricales
Basic information and facts
Origin:
?
Distribution:
Worldwide
Mushrooms:
The shape of the cap looks like an oyster. This gives the mushroom its common name. The oyster-shaped cap has a size of 5 to 25 cm with color ranging from white or gray to dark-brown.
Propagation:
Commercially cultivated on straw and other media.
Harvesting:
Can be collected from the wild.
Uses:
The oyster mushroom is common in Japanese, Korean, Indian and Chinese recipes. It is often used in soups or stir-fried dishes.
Proverbs and Quotes
- Without stooping down for the mushroom, you cannot put it in your basket. (Russian proverb)
- He has sprung up like a mushroom. (Latin proverb)
- Watch out for the unexpected mushroom. (Sicilian Proverb)
- A lucky man can stumble upon a treasure while an unlucky one can’t even find a mushroom. (Russian proverb)
- It’s better to eat a mushroom in freedom than to eat meat in slavery. (African proverb)
Crop categories
Pictures
Oyster mushroom - Photo by A.Bower
Oyster mushroom - Photo by Psionicman
Oyster mushroom - Photo by Tim Sheerman-Chase
Oyster mushroom - Photo by Maja Dumat