Da Lat has started the rainy season, from May to October. Local people as well as many Da Lat-loving followers will bring their baskets to the pine forest to pick mushrooms. After 1-2 days of heavy rain, fungi will grow a lot and are often distributed in large groups.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Le (27 years old, Ba Ria Vung Tau) played with a group of friends in Da Lat, so she had unforgettable experiences in this city. In particular, picking mushrooms is an interesting trip.
On the way to the forest in Ta Nung commune, sitting in the back seat of the motorbike you were carrying, she immediately thought of delicious dishes cooked from mushrooms so that when she returned, she could drink a full bowl.
According to the experience of close friends " passed down" to Ms. Le, mushrooms will grow a lot in pine forests, far from the city center. She is often taken by her friends to non-forested forests with low grass to avoid encountering toxic insects. The road to the forest is comfortable and easy to travel, not too high and steep to avoid losing strength when walking long distances.
"If visitors want to pick mushrooms, they should choose a time when it is dry and sunny; avoid going on rainy days because mushrooms are prone to " drainage", pimples, worms and damage easily. In addition, you should pick mushrooms early in the morning to be able to hunt for many types of mushrooms," Ms. Le shared her experience.
The female tourist happily added about her interesting trip: "While we were driving, suddenly my friend and I saw a giant super-large pine mushroom tree growing on a large plot of land. My friend quickly broke the car and parked the car right on the side of the road to quickly pick up a large mushroom tree for fear that someone else would pick it up and lose it.
The original Da Lat people love mushrooms, I know many people even exchange a few kilos of beef to get mushrooms to eat. Freshly picked mushrooms, sweet and fragrant, some are crispy, some are soft, some are eaten like fish sauce".
During the mushroom picking trip, Ms. Le's companion continuously discovered many mushroom nests growing in the forest. Seeing that, she also took the opportunity to share. Coral mushrooms, chicken eggs, beef liver mushrooms or chestnuts: red chestnuts, green chestnuts... Time went on for several hours.
At the end of the mushroom picking, Ms. Le's group picked mushrooms right in the forest so that the mushroom shoots could thrive and bloom for the following years. In addition, she shared that if any mushroom does not attract ant or insects around, most of them will be toxic mushroom plants.
"Our mushroom picking trip lasted one morning. We not only pick mushrooms but also hang hammocks in the forest to listen to "cheers", organize a small picnic in the forest. This is a great "healing" method that tourists can try when coming to Da Lat," she revealed.
Ideal places to pick mushrooms include Tuyen Lam pond pine forest, Huynh Tan Phat street area, Dar Sar commune pine forest, Trai Mat... Each place has natural conditions suitable for mushrooms such as kaki mushrooms, beef liver mushrooms, chicken egg mushrooms or mushrooms that thrive after the rains.
The outfit needs to be neat and reserved, carry anti-slip shoes, gloves, hats and prepare a mushroom basket and insect spray. Most importantly, you should not go alone but should join a tour or go with locals to get instructions on how to recognize the eaten mushrooms. Choosing and using mushrooms needs to be very careful, only eat mushrooms when a professional confirms they are not toxic.
