Golden Oyster Mushrooms are one of the most spectacular gourmet mushrooms. All varieties are relatively tender and mild when cooked. Their fragrance is sweet, rich, pleasant, distinctively anise and sometimes even almond-like.

The oyster mushroom is so named because it looks similar to an oyster and is available in a wide array of colours, including white, yellow, brown, and pink, all tending to fade to a creamy grey when cooked. It grows abundantly on the trunks of dead or dying deciduous trees, usually alder, and sometimes fenceposts.

Yellow oyster mushroom (Pleurotus citrinopileatus and others) has almost the same shelf life as the pink, although it has held up long enough to cook immediately; but the colour fades along with most of the flavour. It cannot be sautéed as it turns bitter. Simmering in coconut milk or a rich sauce helps to keep it to a uniform juicy texture.