Mushroom season - Quiet but enchanting

BPO - Every May, when the first rains of the season fall, in the lush green cajuput forests appears a "treasure" of nature hidden under the rotten leaves: cajuput mushrooms. For the people of Binh Phuoc, if termite mushrooms are a delicacy, then cajuput mushrooms are the second dish on the list of delicacies from nature. Therefore, every mushroom season, people flock to the cajuput forests to pick mushrooms. This is also the season for seasonal workers to make a living.

Early in the morning, when the fog was still covering the path, people went into the forest together. Each person had a basket and a small knife, diligently searching for each cluster of mushrooms. Melaleuca mushrooms do not grow singly but usually grow in bunches and clusters.

A group of people set out on a mushroom hunting trip.

After days of drought, the first drops of rain seem to awaken dormant life. Just a few rains are enough for the Melaleuca mushrooms to germinate. They grow from the layer of rotten leaves under the Melaleuca tree canopy, hidden in the moist soil.

Melaleuca mushrooms have a small, pretty shape, round or slightly flat cap, light purple or dark brown color.

Mushroom season is the season of seasonal workers. Although going into the forest is hard, not only men but also many women participate in mushroom picking.

People diligently pick mushrooms, skillfully removing mushrooms from layers of rotten leaves.

During mushroom season, the entire forest is bustling with people from morning to late afternoon. To prepare for a day in the forest, mushroom pickers must bring food and drinks into the forest.

The mushroom picker's lunch is sometimes rice balls, sometimes just a piece of sticky rice cake.

During mushroom season, on average a mushroom picker harvests 30kg per day. Raw mushrooms sell for about 30,000 VND/kg. After cleaning and boiling, mushrooms are sold for 120,000 VND/kg.

Harvesting mushrooms after one day

Melaleuca mushrooms are brought to the market, into the kitchen, and are present in dishes such as mushroom soup with chicken, mushrooms stir-fried with betel leaves, mushroom porridge, mushrooms stir-fried with spring leaves, mushrooms stir-fried with sweet potato leaves... The initial bitter taste gradually fades away, leaving a sweet aftertaste, so it is a favorite dish of many people.

Mushrooms after being processed and cooked into a dish

The mushroom season is not long, so people who want to eat straw mushrooms all year round will boil the mushrooms, then freeze them. When eating, just defrost them and you will have a delicious fresh mushroom dish as if you had just picked them.

Source: https://baobinhphuoc.com.vn/news/4/173496/mua-nam-tram-lang-le-ma-me-hoac