26/07/2026
My daughter gave me a Yellow Oyster Mushroom growing kit for Father’s Day - one of the best presents ever!
I’ve already had two harvests it and I’m hoping for a third. Side note: I learned on a recent guided mushroom foraging trip that oyster mushrooms are one of the easiest and safest species for beginners to identify because there are no toxic look-alikes.
Apart from looking beautiful - and tasting fantastic (somewhat cashew-like) - they’re a nutritional powerhouse:
• A source of all 9 essential amino acids, making them a complete protein.
• Rich in beta-glucans, fibres that support normal immune function and act as a prebiotic, nourishing beneficial gut bacteria.
• A good source of potassium, phosphorus, copper and selenium.
• and last but not least, it’s one of the richest dietary sources of a unique antioxidant amino acid called ergothioneine that apparently accumulates in tissues exposed to high levels of oxidative stress, like the brain, eyes, liver and kidneys. Yes please!
As for the harvest… there was only one destination… an oyster mushroom risotto, paired with a fine Gavi, of course. ;-)
