Satun: Rain has entered the forest to find mushrooms. At this time, the Samet forest is especially lively. Villagers leave their homes before dawn to shine lights to find mushrooms, collect them to eat and sell. The price is 150 baht per kilogram.
According to Thai News Agency, at the Samet forest, Village 4, Khlong Khut Subdistrict, Mueang District, Satun Province, covering an area of several hundred rai, during this time you will see many villagers bending down and looking up, using sticks and hooks to poke leaves at the base of the Samet tree, looking for the Samet mushroom. Some people leave their homes before dawn, bringing flashlights to look for the Samet mushroom. During this time, it is abundant because the weather is suitable. The Samet mushroom usually emerges after rain in the dry season. Especially if it rains heavily during the day, the next morning the Samet mushrooms will bloom in large numbers for the villagers to collect to eat and sell.
Villagers who came out to find mushrooms said that this year they just started finding mushrooms 3-4 days after the rain. In the beginning, the villagers were able to collect a lot, 10-20 kg/person/day. Some people collected to eat, some collected to sell, with vendors coming to buy at the location, at a price of 150 baht/kg. But last year the price was better. But if you boil it yourself and sell it yourself, it was 180-200 baht/kg. This made the villagers in the area excited, coming out to collect mushrooms, earning income. Some people found a lot, earning at least 1,000 baht/day.
For popular menus that use mushrooms, such as mushroom curry with tamarind leaves and fresh shrimp, mushroom curry in coconut milk with grilled fish, or boiled mushrooms eaten with mango chili paste/roasted coconut chili paste, mushroom salad, there is a technique to cooking because the mushrooms have a bitter taste. When cooking, cut off the base, wash it clean, then boil it in 1-2 waters to reduce the bitterness before using it in the curry. It is popular to add young tamarind shoots, mango, or sour fruits to the curry, which will make the mushrooms less bitter and more delicious.