Oyster mushrooms bring a unique taste into your kitchen
Tasty tidbits packed with protein, fibre, potassium, vitamin B6 and folate
Oyster mushrooms are a variety of wild mushroom that is aptly named for its broad, fan-shaped caps which look somewhat like oysters with an exterior colour that can range from white to gray or tan to dark-brown with flesh that is white and gills that are creamy with lilac hues. These soft delicate mushrooms are soft and have a chewy texture. Oyster mushrooms are mildly aromatic of anise, seafood and almonds. They may also have an earthy tone to them redolent of the decaying hard woods they grow upon.
Oyster mushrooms were first cultivated in Germany during the First World War to alleviate food shortages as they grow quickly and offer a meaty texture to any recipe. Generally mushrooms are one of the few plant sources of vitamin D and an antioxidant called ergothioneine, which reduces inflammation in the body. Oyster mushrooms are one of the best mushroom sources of this antioxidant as well as being loaded with protein, fibre, potassium, vitamin B6 and folate. The most nutrient dense portion of mushrooms is the cap with smaller, young mushrooms being the most nutrient dense. The vegetative part of the Oyster mushroom called mycelia, kill and eat nematodes AKA roundworms making this plant-based fungus a carnivore.
There are different specialized varieties of oyster mushrooms that come in varying colors including the Pink Flamingo Oyster mushroom which tastes like bacon when cooked. These varieties nearly impossible to find commercial settings but can be sourced online from small home based cultivators.
There are a number of wild varieties of oyster mushrooms available in the wild however I encourage you not to forage for them as there are a few varieties that are highly toxic. For this reason it is best to forage for your oyster mushrooms in the produce section of your grocery store or local market.
Oyster mushrooms are often sold in plastic wrapped containers but are best purchased loose and stored in paper bags as they are highly perishable. Use only the caps and either discard the tough stems or use them in making stock. They cook quickly, so add oyster mushrooms at the end of the cooking process for whatever recipe you try.
Enviro Mushrooms located in Burlington are a Canadian company producing a variety of specialty mushrooms including a couple of varieties of oyster mushrooms whose mushroom caps are so delicate that they look like flower petals. Look for this organic grower of mushrooms in produce aisles and try cooking them in the following recipe for simply sautéed oyster mushrooms.
Sautéed Oyster Mushrooms
• 2 tbsp. cooking oil
• 1 pound oyster mushrooms, stems removed
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 4 green onions finely chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste Method: Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and garlic, and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Remember that sauté means to jump so keep things moving in the pan either by flipping them in the pan or stirring them with a wooden spoon.
Reduce heat to low and season with salt and pepper, letting them cook for another 3-5 minutes covered to generate moisture and steam. Remove the lid and remove pan from heat. Add the green onions and toss the mixture about for a minute or so before serving them.