God's fortune" under the pine forest canopy
At the end of May, early June, when the first rains of the season soaked Da Lat pine forests, Mr. Mai Xuan Dat (48 years old, Xuan Truong ward - Da Lat) went back to the forest with relatives and friends to pick mushrooms.
According to Mr. Dat, pine mushrooms are a "gift from heaven" bestowed by nature. Mushroom harvesting not only brings income but also becomes a joy associated with his family for many years.
Born and raised in Da Lat, from a young age Mr. Dat was taught by his grandparents and parents how to recognize, harvest and process forest mushrooms.
Up to now, I have been attached to the forest mushroom harvesting profession for more than 30 years.
In the rainy season, I often go to areas like Xuan Truong - Da Lat, Lang Biang - Da Lat, Ta Nung, Tuyen Lam Lake or Prenn Pass to look for mushrooms," Mr. Dat shared.
According to Mr. Dat, to ensure safety, he only harvests familiar mushrooms such as beef liver mushrooms, wood ear mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms and oyster mushrooms.
Meanwhile, Mr. Pham Van Thin (64 years old, Xuan Huong ward - Da Lat) said that each type of pine mushroom in Da Lat has its own flavor.
After harvesting, people often process them into stir-fried, grilled, porridge or hot pot dishes.
Experienced people say that under the pine forest canopy there are many edible mushrooms, but also many species contain toxins.
Some delicious mushrooms such as peacock egg mushrooms, beef liver mushrooms or termite mushrooms all have toxic mushrooms with similar shapes, which are very easy to confuse.
Mushroom harvesting requires foresters to have knowledge and experience to accurately identify and avoid the risk of poisoning.
Tourists enjoy experiencing
Not only is it a seasonal food source, pine mushrooms in recent years have also become a unique experiential tourism product of Da Lat.
Many local households harvest, pre-process and supply mushrooms to customers at prices from 100,000 - 150,000 VND/kg of fresh mushrooms and 200,000 - 250,000 VND/kg of frozen finished mushrooms.
Grasping the needs of tourists, many people have organized mushroom hunting trips combined with exploring nature and enjoying local cuisine.
Mr. Hoang Ha, who organizes experiential tours in the Lang Biang area, said that in addition to cultural programs of the K'Ho people, in the rainy season he also takes guests into the forest to pick mushrooms.
Customers traveling during the day usually spend about 800,000 VND to 1 million VND/person. If combined with overnight camping, the cost is about 2 million VND/person," Mr. Ha said.
As one of the tourists who just harvested mushrooms, Ms. Nguyen Thi Kieu Suong (Da Nang), said that this is a memorable experience during her trip to Da Lat.
Walking under the cool pine trees, finding and harvesting mushrooms by hand brings a very interesting feeling. I was also instructed by local people on how to recognize mushrooms and process them into typical dishes," Ms. Suong shared.
According to Mr. Nguyen Duc, Ms. Suong's companion, the experience of picking wild mushrooms brings a new feeling when exploring Da Lat in the rainy season.
According to Dr. Truong Binh Nguyen, lecturer at Da Lat University, studies have recorded nearly 300 species of symbiotic mushrooms under the pine forest canopy in Da Lat, including edible mushrooms and mushrooms containing dangerous toxins.
He said that mushroom harvesting is a long-standing traditional activity of Da Lat people and is increasingly attracting the attention of tourists.
However, people and tourists need to equip themselves with knowledge, only use mushrooms that have been clearly identified, and absolutely do not try strange mushrooms to avoid the risk of poisoning.
