Oyster Mushrooms vs Button Mushrooms: Which Should You Grow and Eat?
Oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus species) and button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) are two of the most widely eaten mushrooms in the world, and both turn up in Zimbabwean kitchens and markets. But they are quite different mushrooms once you look past the fact that they are both, well, mushrooms. This guide compares them on appearance, flavour, nutrition, cooking, and, importantly for anyone reading Spawnline, how easy each one is to grow. Appearance and Texture Oyster mushrooms grow in overlapping, fan- or oyster-shell-shaped clusters, usually in shades of grey, white, pink, or pale brown depending on the strain. They have a soft but meaty texture with almost no stem to speak of, and the cap and gills are tender enough to tear apart by hand. Button mushrooms grow as individual round caps on a firm central stem, usually white or light brown (the brown variety is often sold as "cremini" when young and "portobello" when mature). They have a dense, firm texture that hold...