After more than an hour of picking mushrooms at the edge of the forest by Tuyen Lam Lake, Da Lat, Ha harvested nearly 6 kg of rice straw mushrooms and beef liver mushrooms.
Dalat's rainy season starts from late May to October. At this time, mushrooms begin to grow abundantly under the pine trees in the forest near the city. Ha "Dím", living in Hanoi , experienced picking mushrooms in the forest for the first time on a sunny morning at the end of May.
At nearly 9am, Ha traveled by motorbike from the city center to the edge of the forest near Tuyen Lam Lake, where many edible mushrooms grow with nutritional value.
"Wild mushrooms often grow naturally under pine trees, in places with little light. Once you have identified a tree with mushrooms, walking around it will yield a lot. Mushrooms often grow in clusters," Ha said.
The time the female tourist arrived in Da Lat was the beginning of the mushroom growing season, so the quantity was not much. Ha spent nearly half an hour to find the tree stump where the mushrooms were growing. In the forest edge of Tuyen Lam Lake, there are many types of edible mushrooms, easily distinguished by their appearance such as beef liver mushrooms, chicken egg mushrooms, kaki mushrooms, and coral mushrooms.
In one hour, Ha harvested nearly 6 kg, mainly yellow oyster mushrooms, with stems as big as a wrist and longer than a hand span, and red beef liver mushrooms, half the size of oyster mushrooms.
While picking mushrooms, Ha wears gloves and gently picks from the base so that the mushroom cap does not fall off. "You should bring a small knife to cut off the damaged stem and clean the mushroom before putting it in the basket. Doing so will prevent pests from spreading to other mushrooms, and preparing it at home before cooking will also be quicker," the female tourist shared.
After picking the mushrooms, Ha selects them again, washes them with salt, then boils them in water and processes them into many dishes.
She said that in Da Lat this season, there are many mushroom picking services with local people. Tourists are led to the forest with mushrooms, instructed on how to pick and distinguish poisonous mushrooms. The female tourist thinks that people who do not have experience in going to the forest and classifying mushrooms should book a service to have a safe experience. In case you want to explore on your own, you need to carefully research information about the mushroom picking area, terrain, and types of mushrooms.
Mr. Quoc Dung, who lives in Da Lat and often leads tourists trekking in the forest and picking mushrooms, said that 20 years ago, when tourism was not yet developed, only ethnic people living in the highlands near Da Lat went to the forest to pick mushrooms. In recent years, tourists have begun to be interested in this local activity.
The activity usually takes place during the day, from 6am to 10am. Local guides will pick up guests by motorbike, then trek through the pine forest and pick mushrooms, for 500,000 VND per person, children under 10 years old are free.
"Each session, I only take a maximum of 3 guests to avoid picking poisonous mushrooms. The customers who book this service are mainly families with young children, parents who want their children to have experiences close to nature," said Mr. Dung. It's summer vacation, so many families bring their children to Da Lat. Mr. Dung is often "fully booked all week."
He always requires visitors to wear gloves to avoid touching the toxins on some mushrooms. When cutting mushrooms, cut across the stem, leaving the roots intact so the mushrooms can grow the following season.
Local tour guide leads tourists to pick mushrooms in the pine forest. Photo: Quoc Dung
From the end of June to the end of August, the amount of mushrooms will gradually decrease. The amount of mushrooms that grow depends on the weather conditions. Mr. Dung said that mushrooms will grow after 2-3 days of continuous rain and the next day is sunny. Tuyen Lam Lake and Dar Sar commune are the two places where mushrooms grow the most. The types of mushrooms that are easily seen are kaki, beef liver mushrooms, chicken egg mushrooms, and button mushrooms. The rarest type is the stone flower mushroom, also known as coral mushroom.
"After being picked, mushrooms need to be sorted again to avoid mixing in poisonous mushrooms. Edible wild mushrooms have high nutritional value, and are sold on the market for 500,000 VND per kilogram depending on the type," Mr. Dung shared.
Bich Phuong
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