Oyster mushroom grey, brown, yellow, pink / Pleurotes ssp

(Tree Oyster, Tamogitake, Elm mushroom)

This mushroom, which has been the favourite of mushroom growers for a long time, grows on trees in the wild in spring and in autumn and is easy to cultivate. There are a lot of varieties, such as the grey and brown oyster mushroom, but there area also varieties which are yellow and pink.

The oyster mushroom mainly grows on deciduous wood such as oak, alder, beech, birch, willow and poplar in the wild. In principle it is a saprophyte which grows on a large number of different species of trees, but it can also be a parasite. This mushroom also grows on bales of straw and on pulp, for instance from the production of coffee. First, the fruit bodies are globular, next they grow into round leaves which are flat at the end and may even curl up. The diameter of the fruit bodies can be 5 to 20 cm. The top of the cap has a smooth structure. At the bottom the gills are clearly visible. The fruit bodies usually grow in clusters.

The taste of the oyster mushroom is rather pleasant, sweet, somewhat like anise and reminiscent of almond. This mushroom is rich in protein, contains 30-144 mgs of vitamin C/100 grams and is rich in potassium. The oyster mushroom produces a compound "Lovestatin" which is said to reduce cholesterol-levels.