The World of Mushrooms

The mushrooms are as varied and countless as are or flowering plants, herbs and shrub from lowest strata to higher one.

- G.L. KHAJURIA

These are both palatable and non-palatable, poisonous, and nonpoisonous fungi mostly manifesting their wild existence. These mostly subsist on dead, dying and diseases (3D'S) trees both in standing and felled from of logs, the forest. These as well exhibit their growth in a multipored form at various sites in and around the forest areas. Some of the palatable mushrooms exists on coniferous trees such as kail and chir in the form of beehive and most of them are palatable.

In rainy season, some forms of fungi emerge out from ground, and around termite mounds when there is lightning with thunders which are spoken as 'khumbaan' in dogri parlance. This variety of fungi is most serving as well multicinal properties in form or the other. These exists both multi-medinone both in the wild and around, habitation in rural areas, The tribal people are expert in identifying both the palatable and non-palatable mushrooms and they mostly have such mushrooms as their most favored and delicious dishes they subsist on this type of mushrooms.

Around 2,000 species of mushrooms have been identified out of which as many as 25 have been classified as edible. In delicacy, mushrooms are difficult to resist and that is why this variety forms the predominant part amongst other dishes displayed during important functions, particularly marriages. Its delicacy is peerless and non-resistible. These form the prominent part for the vegetarian in breakfast, not lunch or dinner and is evergreen dish which in a way is not ignorable.

Mushrooms are of delicious taste and can be taken in a variety of ways: Mushroom with tea, coffee, in toasts with sauce.