Pink Oyster

Pink Oyster, perhaps the most aesthetically pleasing of the mushrooms. How often do you see that colour in something edible that isn't manufactured in a lab? If only they kept that color through the cooking cycle. Alas, they do not.

Pink oyster is somewhat delicate for something so meaty. In the black pearl bio, I wrote that they were the meatiest - but that might have been a lie. The Pink oyster is super chewy and actually kind of tastes like meat. In fact, it actually tastes kind of like chicken. Nature is strange.

Based on chewiness and same with the black pearl, this isn't the mushroom you want to go for on top of pizzas or in a pasta, as it can kind of overwhelm the bite. In terms of a meat replacement though, I don't think you can find anything better.

A nice recipe we tried with this one is 'vegan bacon', where you cook it in maple syrup, paprika, and salt and it actually kind of tastes like bacon! It's not identical, and I wonder if the people who named it hadn't actually had bacon in a long time, but regardless: it's a good time.

With regards to being delicate, the pink is actually a tropical oyster, and as such it does not love being in the fridge (though this is still where you should store it). Therefore, it has a shorter shelf life than most other mushrooms and should be eaten within a few days of being picked.

If you're lucky enough to get that chance, this one is sure to impress anyone needing a meat substitute.