Sweet and bitter mushroom

I returned home when the mushroom season was almost over.

At the familiar corner of the market, there were only two vendors left, instead of the scene of aunts lining up next to baskets of shiny, dark brown straw mushrooms. The late-season straw mushrooms were small and somewhat crumbly, but they were better than nothing.

I love the rainy season, the season of mushrooms. At the beginning of the rainy season, it is termite mushrooms, in the middle of the rainy season, it is straw mushrooms, and during the rainy season, it is Melaleuca mushrooms. I remember when it was mushroom season, every weekend off from school, I followed my father into the Melaleuca forest, the rubber forest near my house to pick Melaleuca mushrooms, termite mushrooms. Termite mushrooms are a bit rare, but Melaleuca mushrooms are often "found in the right place".

I love the feeling of parting the leaves and being surprised to see round, shiny brown mushrooms growing underneath. Choose mushrooms that have just grown and are sturdy, use a sharp bamboo stick to scrape off the stems, then wash them several times in salt water to remove the sand. Many people often boil the mushrooms to reduce the bitterness, but my mother said, "What a waste, bitterness is medicine!"

Just like that, my mother divided the pile of straw mushrooms into two halves, one half was stir-fried to make porridge, the other half was braised with pepper and pork belly to save for rice. Straw mushroom porridge is probably the dish that appears most frequently in my house during the rainy season. Sometimes my mother cooks porridge with snakehead fish, sometimes she only cooks it vegetarian. Stir-fry straw mushrooms with fragrant garlic oil, add a little salt, and after a few minutes, the water will be almost there. When the porridge is cooked, add the whole pan of stir-fried mushrooms, season to taste, add onion and pepper and it can be served. At that time, I only dared to sip the porridge without touching any mushrooms because I was afraid of the bitterness. The porridge also has a bitter taste of mushrooms, eating it often becomes familiar and "upgrades", becoming addicted without realizing it.

While a hot pot of porridge with Melaleuca mushrooms is perfect for a rainy afternoon, Melaleuca mushroom soup or Melaleuca mushrooms stir-fried with sweet potato leaves are perfect for a hot summer afternoon. As for the stir-fried dish, Mom makes the concession of boiling the mushrooms for a while to reduce the bitterness.

Sweet potato leaves are lush in the rainy season, my mother said they must be stir-fried rare to be delicious. Put the pan on the stove, fry at least 1 garlic bulb until fragrant, then add the boiled mushrooms, squeeze out the excess water and stir-fry. When the shiny straw mushrooms are firm, add the sweet potato leaves, stir-fry a few times, season to taste and scoop them onto a plate to serve. The straw mushrooms are just cooked and slightly crunchy, the sweet potato leaves are still rare so they are crispy.

The bitter mushrooms stir-fried with sweet potato leaves suddenly have a strange sweetness, of course a sweet aftertaste, a sweetness that lingers in the throat after lunch is finished, lying on the hammock swinging for an afternoon nap.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/diem-den-hap-dan/ngot-dang-nam-tram-20201001195050356.htm