Termite mushroom hunting season

(GLO) - Around May and June each year, when the first rains of the season begin to fall and the ground becomes soft and damp, it is also the time when people in Gia Lai enter the season of "hunting" for termite mushrooms. This is a "gift from heaven" bestowed by nature, appearing only a couple of times a year.

At 5 a.m., while the mist still enveloped the area, we followed Ms. Siu H'Tưới (from Mook Trêl village, Ia Dom commune, Đức Cơ district) into the coffee plantation to pick mushrooms. As she nimbly sifted through the decaying leaves, Ms. H'Tưới shared: "To pick delicious mushrooms, you have to go when it's still pitch dark. At that time, the mushrooms haven't had time to bloom, retaining their characteristic sweetness and crispness."

According to her experience, termite mushrooms usually grow at night, bursting open around 5-6 am and bursting their caps within 3-4 hours. Therefore, mushroom pickers usually have to go out at 3-4 am.

Termite mushrooms typically grow in May and June each year. Photo: LH

Termitomyces albuminosus, also known as termite mushroom, is a naturally occurring mushroom belonging to the Lyophyllaceae family. Unlike other mushrooms that grow year-round, termite mushrooms thrive in the unique ecosystem surrounding termite mounds, where the soil is loose, rich in humus, and highly humid. Therefore, termite mushrooms cannot be cultivated or propagated. They grow scattered around termite mounds, forest edges, under the canopy of old coffee trees, pepper plantations, or in clumps of trees with thick layers of decaying leaves.

Termite mushrooms are off-white or grayish-brown in color; their stems are round and grow upright. Before blooming, the cap is pointed like a needle, becoming rounder like a small umbrella as the sun rises. The base of the mushroom is deeply embedded in the soft soil, firmly attached to the termite nest. When newly sprouted, the mushroom is only about 3-5 cm tall; after about 4-6 hours, it matures to about 10-15 cm, becoming plump, with a crisp stem and a rich aroma.

Mushroom hunters usually carry a small flashlight, a basket or carrying pole for mushrooms, and a sharp knife or twig to dig mushrooms out of the ground without breaking the stems. After walking a few steps, Ms. H'Tưới pointed to a small mound of earth protruding from the decaying leaves and shared her experience: "There are a lot of mushrooms there. After the rain, if you see small black or dark brown mounds of earth 2-3 days later, the mushroom patch is about to emerge."

Freshly picked termite mushrooms have a slightly earthy smell of damp soil mixed with the fragrance of young mushrooms. For the people of Gia Lai , termite mushrooms are a "gift from heaven" at the beginning of each rainy season. This type of mushroom is rich in calcium, phosphorus, iron, protein, and many other nutrients that are good for health. More than just a food, for the Jrai people, termite mushrooms are also a part of their memories, closely associated with the rainy season in the vast forests.

Termite mushrooms are considered by the people of Gia Lai as a gift from heaven. Photo: Provided by the author.

Ms. Rơ Châm Nhen (Dăng village, Ia O commune, Ia Grai district) said: “The Jrai people often utilize readily available vegetables in their gardens such as gourds, eggplants... or various wild vegetables to cook with mushrooms. When stir-fried with these ingredients, the mushrooms release a sweet aroma and are crispy and delicious. We also often boil the mushrooms in plain water to preserve their sweet flavor; just adding a few slices of chili and basil leaves is enough to enhance the taste.”

For Ms. Nhen, for 25 years, termite mushrooms have been an indispensable part of her family's meals during the rainy season. "When I was little, after every heavy rain, my mother and aunts would go to the fields and forests from 4 a.m. to pick mushrooms to improve our meals. Even though it was cold and the roads were slippery, the mushrooms picked early in the morning tasted sweet and flavorful," Ms. Nhen recalled.

In recent years, termite mushrooms have become scarce and difficult to find. While in the past, people could easily fill their baskets by simply walking along the edge of forests, rubber plantations, or coffee fields, now they have to wake up at dawn, venturing deep into the forest or barren land just to find a few small clusters of mushrooms.

According to Ms. Nhen, the main reason is that the termites' living environment has been affected by the use of pesticides and herbicides, as well as the shrinking area of ​​forest land. Termite mushrooms have therefore become a "rare commodity." The villagers here jokingly call termite mushrooms "the white gold of the rainy season" because of their value and rarity.

"The price of termite mushrooms varies depending on the time of year. Where I live, the first harvest of termite mushrooms sells for 200-300 VND/kg. Towards the end of the season, the mushrooms become scarcer, so the price will be slightly higher," Ms. Nhen informed.

To preserve the natural ecosystem for termite mushrooms to continue growing, many families who have termite mushrooms growing in their gardens have limited the use of pesticides. They leave the soil to nature, waiting for the mushrooms to grow again the following rainy season.

“I remember every spot where the mushrooms grow very clearly. Some patches grow year after year. The villagers remind each other that when working in the fields, they must leave some areas untouched, not encroach upon or destroy them. Whatever belongs to the forest must be left for the forest to nurture,” Ms. Nhen shared.

Source: https://baogialai.com.vn/mua-san-nam-moi-post329607.html