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Pleurotus ostreatus or Oyster mushroom is a common and edible mushroom commercially grown, or found in temperate or subtropical forests around the world. It is considered a medicinal mushroom as it contains statins such as lovastatin which helps to reduce cholesterol. This mushroom is known as ping gu or flat mushroom in Chinese. It has the smell of anise or almond, due to the presence of benzaldehyde.
Pleurotus ostreatus has a broad, fan-shaped or oyster-shaped cap, measuring 5-25 cm, with color range from white to gray or tan to dark-brown. The flesh is white, firm and varies in thickness. The gills are often white to cream color.
The Oyster mushroom is often used in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean recipes. It can be used in soup, as stuffing ,or stir-fry with soy sauce. Oyster mushroom is best picked when young, as the mushroom will become tough when it aged. Some people may get stomach upset due to the arabitol, a sugar alcohol, which presents in the mushroom.
