King Blue Oysters, on the other hand, are a completely different story. When they first start growing, they could easily be confused for some sort of grotesque brain eating fungus. At the very least, they’re not the eye-catching beauties you’d expect from a mushroom with a regal name.
Did you know that rice was once used as a currency and was highly sought after? Odd to think about, now that it’s so commonplace, right? Reishi mushrooms aren’t so different. For over 2,500 years these mushrooms have been known for their health-giving boon. In fact, once dubbed the “mushroom of immortality”, there was a time when in China the Reishi was restricted to royalty only. Now, this mushroom that was once just for hierarchy is cultivated and grows right on your counter-top.
On top of being delicious, Shiitake provide several potential benefits to your health. Rich in B vitamins, but low in fat, Shiitakes are also known in many cultures for aiding with weight loss, and controlling your blood sugar and pressure levels. Is it really any surprise they’re one of the most popular of the cultivated mushrooms?
If you are wanting to start a home-based business growing mushrooms, Pink Oysters are an excellent starting place. Vibrant colors are known for drawing in interest at a farmers market; in fact, before I got more knowledgeable with mushrooms I hadn’t known it was possible for them to be beautiful. Seeing the Pink Oysters for the first time is a considerable part of what got me interested in learning more about mushrooms in general.
This is just a small sample of the variety of beautiful mushrooms that exist. There are millions of different strains all over the world, each with its own uniqueness. Limiting our view of mushrooms to the few that don’t capture the imagination is really shortchanging the world of the truly amazing benefits that mushrooms bring. Not just to humankind, but to the world as a whole.