Monsoon Mushroom Harvest Brings Income to Nakhon Ratchasima Villagers
Heavy monsoon rains triggered a wild mushroom boom in Nakhon Ratchasima's forests, with villagers harvesting prized ringlet mushrooms as supplementary income, earning 150-400 baht per kilogram depending on quality.
Nakhon Ratchasima — Heavy rainfall across many areas of Nakhon Ratchasima province in recent weeks has triggered a burst of wild mushroom growth throughout the forests, including Wang Nam Khiao National Forest in Udom Sap subdistrict, Wang Nam Khiao district. Local residents have been heading into the forest with baskets to forage for mushrooms to eat and sell as supplementary income.
Siveerath Chansaengchai, a 59-year-old villager from Sab Tao village in Udom Sap subdistrict, and his neighbors are among those venturing into the forest in the drizzling rain to hunt for mushrooms. The mushrooms currently being harvested are predominantly ringlet mushrooms, available in both white and yellow varieties. The yellow ringlet mushroom is the highlight, prized not only for its excellent taste but also for its striking golden color, which becomes even more visually spectacular when the mushrooms cluster together in the forest.
Both white and yellow ringlet mushrooms are called the "king of wild mushrooms" because of their delicious, sweet, tender, and smooth texture that makes them ideal for a variety of dishes. They are most commonly prepared in curries and stir-fried with oyster sauce, which brings out their natural flavor and texture clearly. Due to their high quality, unopened mushroom buds sell for 300-400 baht per kilogram, while opened mushrooms command 150-200 baht per kilogram.
