Once a Year: First Rains Trigger 'Semet' Mushroom Season as Locals Rush to Harvest and Earn 200 Baht per Kilo
Hundreds of residents from across Southern Thailand rush to Trang province's Rajamangala University campus each year during the first rains to harvest semet mushrooms, which sell for 150-200 baht per kilogram and can yield daily earnings of
Starting early morning in Trang province, hundreds of residents drove motorcycles and cars into Rajamangala University of Technology Trang campus in Sai Khao district, Mai Fad subdistrict, to harvest semet mushrooms—locally called 'hed mhet'—which grow naturally beneath nearly 1,300 rai of white semet trees. Residents from Trang and neighboring provinces including Phatthalung, Satun, and Nakhon Si Thammarat scattered across various mushroom-rich zones, collecting large, white-purple blooms and white flowers with plump, appetizing appearance. A second variety of white semet mushrooms resembling straw mushrooms also grows here. Both types sell for 150-200 baht per kilogram. These mushrooms appear only once yearly during the first rains, from late April through May each year—an eagerly anticipated season when locals can forage throughout the day.
University administrators permit the harvesting to support farmers' livelihoods, given the abundant supply across the expansive grounds with large daily yields. Harvesters need only simple tools like long sticks or knives to dig through fallen semet leaves. The mushrooms are easily spotted due to their distinct white-purple color, with purple varieties outnumbering white ones. Individual collectors typically gather 2-10 kilograms daily—some for household consumption to reduce expenses, others for sale. Some make mushroom harvesting a profession, shipping to other provinces with daily earnings of 500-1,000 baht. Popular dishes include coconut curry, mushroom curry, jungle curry, blanched mushrooms with chili paste, sour curry, and more.
Semet mushrooms have a bitter taste, so they must be boiled and drained 2-3 times before cooking to reduce bitterness, resulting in a chewy, fragrant texture with slight bitter notes at the finish. Health benefits include improved digestion, zero fat content, low sugar levels, weight loss support, cholesterol reduction, muscle building, enhanced immunity, and chemical-free nutrition—nature's gift after summer ends.
One Sai Khao resident shared plans to make tom som (sour curry) with shrimp using today's harvest. Another vendor, Wilas, 58, from Mai Fad village, noted that locals search for semet mushrooms from late April to May when rains trigger growth, with hundreds coming from various provinces. Harvests vary—some collect 10 kilograms daily at 150-200 baht per kilo. Small white mushroom varieties occasionally appear. This year's yield exceeds last year's; heavier rains mean larger harvests.
