Mushrooms: Oyster

These were the first 'exotic' mushroom that I purchased regularly. In 1991 they were already widely available in Berkeley (we're talking Safeway) and cost just a dollar or so more a pound than various button mushrooms.


I got these at the Grand Lake Farmers' Market last week, and didn't get to cook them until Thursday. I was prepared for the worst, but they were still dense and moist - something to do with all that stem matter.


Tom Volk's deep-dive on Oyster Mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus) can be found here. Some notes on the taste here:

The common name "oyster mushroom" comes from the white shell-like appearance of the fruiting body, not from the taste. The taste of the oyster mushroom varies from very mild to very strong, sometimes sweet with the smell of anise (licorice).

Usually when I buy Oyster Mushrooms from a store they are a feint grey color. These were a ghostly white. They've always felt fragile to me, but these were particularly thin-skinned. They seared to a golden brown after 30 seconds or so in oil that was still a ways away from smoking.