Ten wild edible mushrooms collected by tribals during monsoons

The first rains quench the thirst of parched soil. As the moisture reaches the tree barks, ant hills, dead wood and every nook and corner of the earth, fungi take root. Many of these fungi are edible mushrooms foraged by forest dwellers, mostly tribal people. For centuries, these indigenous people have lived near nature and have an eye for spotting edible mushrooms. And these are not the button, oyster or rice straw mushrooms available in your neighbourhood stores. These are wild mushrooms that grow wherever they stand a chance.

From Jharkhand and Meghalaya to Tamil Nadu and Kerala, the story of foraging wild edible mushrooms is the same. With the onset of monsoon, tribal women and children set out to hunt for them. The trip starts early in the morning to elbow out competition. 

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While women collect the mushrooms in handmade reed or grass baskets or cotton sarees and dupattas, children are the first to spot them due to their sharp eyes and proximity to the earth. The mushrooms are used for consumption in the household and also for sale.

Due to their high nutrition content and medicinal values, mushrooms are a prized commodity within and outside tribal communities. 

According to the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR), about 15 lakh species of fungi inhabit the earth of which 1.4 lakh are categorized as mushrooms. Of these, more than 3000 species are known to be edible mushrooms. 

Not all wild mushrooms, however, are edible.  Some of them can be highly poisonous.

The knowledge to distinguish the edible from the poisonous is passed down from generation to generation in tribal societies. There are no written rules. Yet there are deaths reported almost every year due to the consumption of poisonous mushrooms. 

Those cases, however, are limited to areas where poisonous mushrooms grow alongside edible mushrooms and are very similar. The majority of the tribal foragers know the difference well. Here are ten wild edible mushrooms, collected by the tribal people of India during the monsoon season:

1. Rugda mushroom of Jharkhand (called Boda in Chhattisgarh)

Better known as the vegetarian mutton of Jharkhand, Rugda is a mushroom that grows naturally at the base of Sal trees in the forests of Jharkhand. Tribal women of Bundu, Pithouriya, and Tamar communities dig up Rugda from under the roots of the trees during the Monsoon season and sell it at local markets. Its curry is eaten with boiled rice or rice cake steamed in sal leaves.

2. Jamun khukhri in Jharkhand and Jam Chatu in Orissa

As the name suggests, it grows under or near a jamun tree. It is a delicious mushroom with firm flesh and is rich in proteins. It is the biggest mushroom in Jharkhand in terms of size. 

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3 Mohacha aalimb 

Aalimb means mushroom in Marathi and Mohacha Aalimb is a mushroom that grows under the shade of the Mahua flowers in the month of Shravan just coinciding with rains. They appear mostly a day after rain. 

4. Bihiden Mushroom, Odisha and Jharkhand

Found only in Odisha and in some places in Jharkhand, this mushroom has a long stalk and a small head. White in colour, the Bihiden mushroom is considered a maha prasad (offering to Gods). Among the tribal communities, there is a custom to put Bihiden mushrooms behind the ears of a newborn baby and after that, the baby can see the mushrooms in front of her/him. This is supposed to bring good luck.

5. Putru Kumizh, Tamil Nadu

People from the Kaani tribe collect the mushrooms early in the morning in bamboo or reed baskets. They are cleaned in fresh water and slightly pounded in a wooden mortar with an equal amount of rice. The mixture is boiled with spices, salt and wild chillies. Some tribal people also add grated coconut to it.

6. Gucchi, Jammu and Kashmir

One of the most expensive mushrooms in the world, gucchi has a spongy, honeycombed head and savoury flavour. It grows in the forests of Kashmir in India and is collected by forest dwellers. It sells for Rs30,000 to Rs40,000 per kg.

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7. Golden Chanterelles, Himachal Pradesh

Also called egg mushrooms, they grow in deciduous woods. Golden yellow in colour, they are shaped like curved trumpets. They are collected by locals, villagers, and mainly Gaddi communities for consumption and sale. 

8. Uyen (a shiitake-like mushroom), Manipur

Uyen is an exotic mushroom celebrated for its robust flavour. It is used in Manipur in many dishes, including Kanghou (Fried Dish), Dal Fry, Eromba (Chutney), and numerous others. Kanglayen paknam (pan-roasted split gill mushroom) and uchina kangou (black wood-ear mushroom stir-fry) with peas are other popular wild mushroom dishes. 

9. Mange mara kum, Karnataka

Mushrooms growing on dead logs of mango trees are called mange mara kum in Karnataka. They are white with hollowed tops and thick round stems. Tribal people make them into gravies and stir fry to accompany the main course.

10. Bamboo mushroom, Odisha and Jharkhand

Wild mushrooms grow around bamboo trees after rains in Odisha’s forests. Tribal people forage them and use them in a variety of dishes. These are delicate white mushrooms with a brown spot on top. The stalks are thin and the body is less fleshy than button mushrooms.

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