John Miller
Golden mushrooms refer to two different types of mushrooms: Golden Oyster mushrooms and Gold Cap mushrooms. Golden Oyster mushrooms, also known as Pleurotus citrinopileatus, are native to eastern Russia, northern China, and Japan. They are cultivated and sold in grocery stores and are edible and medicinal, with a bitter flavor when raw and a delicate flavor when cooked. Gold Cap mushrooms, also known as Psilocybe cubensis, are native to tropical and subtropical regions such as South America, Central America, Mexico, and southern and southwestern US. They are hallucinogenic and contain the psychoactive compounds psilocybin and psilocin.
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What You'll Learn
- Golden Oyster Mushrooms are native to eastern Russia, northern China and Japan
- They are edible and have been used as a medicinal ingredient for millennia
- They are available wild in spring and fall, and cultivated year-round
- They are easy to grow and have a short shelf life
- Gold Cap Mushrooms are also known as Psilocybe Cubensis, first recorded in Cuba in 1906
Golden Oyster Mushrooms are native to eastern Russia, northern China and Japan
Golden Oyster Mushrooms, or Pleurotus citrinopileatus, are native to eastern Russia, northern China, and Japan. They are a species of wood-decay fungus, commonly found on hardwood trees such as beech, oak, elm, maple, and ash. In Japan, they are nicknamed "Phantom Mushrooms" due to their elusive nature and the difficulty in finding, harvesting, and storing them.
Golden Oyster Mushrooms have been growing wild in their native regions since ancient times. They are known to thrive in subtropical to warm, temperate climates and exclusively reside on hardwood trees, where they decompose dying, fallen, and damaged trees. This makes them distinct from other oyster mushrooms, which can sometimes be found on the ground.
In the 20th century, Golden Oyster Mushrooms gained popularity outside their native range due to their nutritional benefits and ease of cultivation. By the 1970s and 1980s, mushroom producers had successfully cultivated them in controlled environments, and they began to be sold in grocery stores and home grow kits. This human activity contributed to their spread, and they eventually naturalized in parts of the Midwest and Northeast of North America.
Today, Golden Oyster Mushrooms continue to grow wild in their native habitats and have become invasive in some areas, outcompeting native mushroom species for resources. They are edible and celebrated for their umami flavor, enhancing broths and stocks with a savory taste derived from compounds like glutamic acid, guanylic acid, and inosinic acid. However, it is important to properly identify them before consumption, as misidentification can have serious consequences.
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They are edible and have been used as a medicinal ingredient for millennia
Golden mushrooms refer to two types of mushrooms: Golden Oyster mushrooms and Gold Cap mushrooms.
Golden Oyster Mushrooms
Golden Oyster mushrooms, or Pleurotus citrinopileatus, are native to the hardwood forests of eastern Russia, northern China, and Japan. They are also known as Yellow oyster mushrooms, Lemon mushrooms, Il'mak in Russian, and Tamgitake, Tamogitake, Tamogi, and Koganeshimeji in Japanese. They are edible and have been used as a medicinal ingredient for millennia. In traditional Chinese medicine, oyster mushrooms have been used to treat a variety of health conditions for over three millennia. Scientific studies on the health benefits of oyster mushrooms are emerging, and it has been suggested that Golden Oyster mushroom health benefits may include lower cholesterol, improved heart health, higher immune function, and improved metabolic health. They are also claimed to have significant antibacterial properties. One 1997 study found that oyster mushrooms are filled with an active compound called benzaldehyde that reduces bacterial levels.
Gold Cap Mushrooms
Gold Cap mushrooms, or Psilocybe cubensis, are a species of mushroom that is a potent source of the hallucinogenic agent psilocybin. They are also known as golden tops, goldies, cubes, cubies, boomers, caps, and gold caps. They are edible and have been used as a medicinal ingredient for millennia. The Aztecs used Psilocybe cubensis to ask the gods for divine guidance. Gold cap mushrooms have a white ring around the outside of their caps, earning them the moniker "golden tops" or "gold caps." They are also referred to as magic mushrooms and can cause perceptual changes, both in the user and the world around them, for hours after ingestion.
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They are available wild in spring and fall, and cultivated year-round
Golden mushrooms refer to a few different types of mushrooms. One type is the golden oyster mushroom, which is native to the hardwood forests of eastern Russia and northern China, as well as Japan. Golden oyster mushrooms are available wild in spring and fall, and cultivated year-round. They grow in small to medium-sized clumps, sometimes referred to as bouquets, and are made up of many layers of tightly packed mushrooms growing from a single base attached to a tree. The caps of these mushrooms are typically 2 to 6 centimetres in diameter and have a pale to saturated golden-yellow hue, varying with temperature.
Another type of golden mushroom is the gold cap mushroom, which is native to subtropical environments such as South America, Central America, Mexico, India, Southeast Asia, Australia, Brazil, and Zimbabwe. Gold cap mushrooms are also known as Psilocybe cubensis, golden tops, cubes, cubies, boomers, caps, and goldies. They are known for their light golden colour with a dark brown area in the middle of their umbrella caps. They are often found growing on the dung of ruminants like cows and goats.
Golden mushrooms may also refer to magic mushrooms, which are hallucinogenic and can cause perceptual changes and hallucinations. These mushrooms are often consumed in tea form or incorporated into food. However, it is important to note that the potency of golden mushrooms can vary significantly depending on various factors, and misidentification can have serious consequences.
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They are easy to grow and have a short shelf life
Golden mushrooms refer to two types of mushrooms: Golden Oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus citrinopileatus) and Gold Cap mushrooms (Psilocybe cubensis).
Golden Oyster mushrooms are native to the hardwood forests of eastern Russia, northern China, and Japan. They are cultivated and sold in grocery stores and grow kits for home cultivation. They are easy to grow and produce dense, tightly layered bouquets. However, they have a short shelf life and are fragile when raw, making long-distance transportation challenging. Golden Oyster mushrooms have a unique golden colour and a bitter flavour when raw, but their taste improves significantly when cooked, especially when sautéed. They are also known for their health benefits, including antibacterial properties, and have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years.
Gold Cap mushrooms, on the other hand, are a species of hallucinogenic mushroom, also known as "magic mushrooms." They are widely distributed and can be found in various regions, including South America, Central America, Mexico, Australia, India, and Southeast Asia. They are known for their light golden colour with a dark brown area in the middle of their caps, giving them their distinctive appearance. Gold Cap mushrooms have psychoactive compounds, psilocybin and psilocin, that can cause perceptual changes, euphoria, and hallucinations. They are often consumed in various forms, such as dried, brewed in tea, or incorporated into food. However, it is important to note that the potency of these mushrooms can vary, and misidentification can have serious consequences.
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Gold Cap Mushrooms are also known as Psilocybe Cubensis, first recorded in Cuba in 1906
Gold Cap Mushrooms, scientifically known as Psilocybe Cubensis, are a species of psychedelic mushroom. They were first recorded in 1906 in Cuba by American mycologist Franklin Sumner Earle, who named them Stropharia cubensis. They are commonly known as "magic mushrooms", and are one of the most widely distributed and cultivated psilocybin mushrooms in the world. They are also one of the most potent, with the main psychoactive compounds being psilocybin and psilocin.
P. cubensis is a pan-tropical species, occurring in the Gulf Coast states and southeastern United States, Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, South America, Southeast Asia, Australia, Fiji, and possibly Nepal and Hawaii. They are often found on the dung of plant-eating animals, such as cows and goats, and occasionally horses. They are also known to grow on water buffalo dung in Asia.
The mushrooms have a distinctive appearance, with a light golden colour and a dark brown area in the middle of their umbrella-shaped caps. The caps are smooth and sticky, and the gills are often described as grey and thin, darkening as the mushroom matures, while the edges retain a white hue. The stems are white or yellow, barrel-shaped, and usually measure a couple of inches to half a foot in height.
Gold Cap Mushrooms have been used for therapeutic purposes and in sacred rituals by indigenous cultures for millennia. They are often consumed whole, steeped in tea, ground into a powder, or incorporated into food such as chocolate. However, it is important to note that they are classified as controlled substances in many countries, and misidentification can have serious consequences.
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Frequently asked questions
Golden mushrooms can refer to either golden oyster mushrooms or gold cap mushrooms. Golden oyster mushrooms are native to eastern Russia, northern China, and Japan. Gold cap mushrooms, on the other hand, are typically found in tropical or subtropical environments, including South America, Central America, Mexico, and southern/southwestern US.
Young golden oyster mushrooms have a flat, plump, smooth, and taut cap with curled edges. The cap has a pale to saturated golden-yellow hue, varying with temperature. Underneath the cap are cylindrical white stems ranging from 2 to 5 cm in length.
Yes, golden oyster mushrooms are edible and have been used as a culinary and medicinal ingredient for thousands of years. They are known to have antibacterial properties and potential health benefits such as lower cholesterol, improved heart health, and higher immune function.
Gold cap mushrooms, also known as Psilocybe cubensis, contain the hallucinogenic agents psilocybin and psilocin. The effects of consuming these mushrooms include perceptual changes, altered senses, enhanced visualizations, and a sense of euphoria. However, there are also potential negative effects such as nausea, stomachache, and intense hallucinations.
Yes, there are risks associated with consuming gold cap mushrooms. The potency and dosage of the mushrooms can vary significantly, and misidentification of these mushrooms with other similar-looking species can be dangerous or even deadly. Additionally, consuming dried gold cap mushrooms increases the concentration of psilocybin, leading to potential problems with dosing.
