Hello friends and mycology mavens!
Our team here at Cellar Mushrooms loves growing fresh, delicious culinary mushrooms for you, and one of our favorite varieties is Pink Oyster – or Pleurotus Djamor as it’s scientifically known. With a bright coral-pink color and caps that look like intricate flower petals or seashells, Pink Oysters are, quite simply, gorgeous. There is something about the color and shape of these mushrooms that’s a combination of exotic and fairytale-ish, and it awes me each time I see them growing in our fruiting room. Pink oysters are extremely tasty, simple to cook, and provide an impressive list of nutritional and health benefits.
[Before we dive in, a quick note:
We hope you’ll enjoy learning about mushrooms as much as we do! Please know that all information shared here by Cellar Mushrooms is for educational purposes only and is not meant to provide or take the place of medical advice. It is not meant to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.]
Native to tropical climates (Indonesia specifically), Pink Oysters are just one of the more than 40 types of oyster mushrooms that exist. They’re a super choice culinary mushroom, but are not often seen in grocery stores because their shelf life is shorter than that of many other mushrooms. Lucky for you, we’ve got you covered! When you buy Pink Oysters from Cellar Mushrooms at a farmers market or through our website, you’re getting freshly-harvested mushrooms which will happily wait many days for you to eat them…if you can wait that long!
In terms of their nutritional profile, Pink Oyster mushrooms are high in vitamins B6 and B25, iron, folate, potassium, zinc, and niacin. And, like the other mushrooms we cultivate, they pack a great punch of protein.
Pink Oyster mushrooms contain the amino acid ergothioneine, which has powerful antioxidant properties. This article, published in the Journal of Nutritional Science, explains, “There is mounting evidence for the potential for the natural dietary antioxidant and anti-inflammatory amino acid l-Ergothioneine (ERGO) to prevent or mitigate chronic diseases of aging. This has led to the suggestion that it could be considered a ‘longevity vitamin.’ ERGO is produced in nature only by certain fungi and a few other microbes. Mushrooms are, by far, the leading dietary source of ERGO,” specifically oyster mushrooms.
Additionally, a variety of studies have suggested Pink Oyster mushrooms may:
Help improve cardiac health by lowering cholesterol and helping to prevent cardiac disease
Help regulate blood sugar levels
Offer prebiotic benefits which boost immune system function and gastrointestinal health
Help reduce inflammation throughout the body
On top of their impressive health and nutritional benefits, Pink Oyster mushrooms are just plain tasty! When cooked, they have a slightly chewy texture very similar to meat, and a mild, somewhat nutty flavor. As they cook, the vibrant pink color will fade and lighten, and then deepen to a beautiful golden color as they’re browned. As with most mushrooms, they can really take on the flavor of what they’re cooked with. We love Pink Oyster with pasta, in a breakfast scramble, as a taco filling, to munch on as a snack, or as a bacon substitute – the possibilities are endless! Our recipe for Simple Sauteed Pink Oyster Mushrooms will get the culinary ball rolling for you.
Thanks for joining us on our fungi journey here at Cellar Mushrooms! We are delighted to cultivate tasty mushrooms that are treat for your tastebuds, your mind, and your body!
Peace,
Your Cellar Mushrooms team
References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7681161/
https://mycointegrative.co.uk/pink-oyster-mushroom-and-its-prebiotic-benefits/
https://www.fungially.com/blogs/growing-mushrooms/pink-oyster-mushroom-benefits
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/oyster-mushroom-benefits