oyster mushroom

Noun

oyster mushroom (plural oyster mushrooms)

1. (US) The mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus, which in the wild grows chiefly on hardwood trees, and is cultivated for food.
   • Particularly good cooking techniques for the Oyster mushroom are stir or deep frying, sautéing, and braising. Some folks enjoy eating them raw in salads, but we do not recommend this. Oyster mushrooms are complemented by onions, butter, mild cheeses, fish, chicken, cream sauces, and gentle herbs.1997, Arleen Raines Bessette, Taming the Wild Mushroom: A Culinary Guide to Market Foraging, page 31
   • Oyster Mushrooms always grow on wood—but sometimes above roots or beside stumps, which creates the illusion they're growing from soil, which they're not.2009, Joe McFarland, Gregory M. Mueller, Edible Wild Mushrooms of Illinois and Surrounding States, page 51
2. Any of several mushrooms of the genus Pleurotus cultivated for food.
   • It is apparent that the production of Oyster mushroom in early 80's was negligible but due to simplicity of cultivation procedure and broad adaptability of different Pleurotus species, the Oyster mushroom has emerged as a mushroom of significance and it is expected that the production will continue...2006, K. G. Mukerji, C. Manoharachary, Current Concepts in Botany, page 93
   • Oyster mushroom is regarded as one of the commercially important edible mushrooms throughout the world. It consists of a number of different species including Pleurotus ostreatus, Pleurotus sajor-caju, […] The oyster mushroom is the second most important mushroom in production around the world...2006, OECD, Safety Assessment of Transgenic Organisms, OECD Consensus Documents, Volume 1, page 277

   Synonyms:

   abalone mushroom, tree oyster, woods oyster