Pleurotus ostreatus
"Hericium erinaceus" is common in gourmet cooking. Young specimens are considered the best. Alongside shiitake ("Lentinus edodes") and oyster ("Pleurotus ostreatus") mushrooms, "H. erinaceus" is used as a specialty mushroom. Its flavor may be compared to that of lobster. The production of specialty mushrooms in the USA increased by about 23% between 2010 and 2018 from 16 to 20 million lbs (7–9 million kg). This increasing consumer interest in specialty mushrooms has encouraged the improvement of shiitake strains.