I never thought I’d find uhong (wild mushroom) while cleaning my backyard. There’s only one mature and another sukol (young mushroom). I know it’s edible because back in Iloilo we have them from the farm or sometimes buy them from the farmers and mushroom gatherers.
The rainy season is usually the time when wild mushrooms germinate. Have you noticed that when there’s lightning there’s usually mushroom growing the next day? Lightning causes high accumulation of nitrate compounds in the atmosphere which triggers the sprouting of wild mushrooms.
Mushrooms grow in decaying organic matter such as wood, leaves, animal manure, and decaying anthills and termite hills. The variety I found belongs to the genus Termitomyces (thanks to A Scientist in the Kitche)since they grow on anthills and termite hills. The subdivision where I live used to be a sugarcane plantation. I presume there used to be an anthill in the area in my backyard where I found the mushroom.
Wild mushroom is a personal favorite so my mother would always buy some for me whenever they’re in season and if I happen to be in Iloilo. She usually cooks it together with laswa (Ilonggo vegetable stew) or simply sauteed in tomatoes, onions and pork fat.
Unlike Volvariella volvacea (straw mushroom) variety which is easily cultivated, the Termitomyces mushrooms are quite difficult to cultivate thus they are only available during the rainy season. This is why they can sometimes be expensive. Farmers and mushroom gatherers usually keep their source a secret since they know there are also other people looking for them. Unless the anthill is inside your backyard, you cannot claim it as your own. It is a race of who gather the earliest after a thunderstorm. So far, there has been no serious fighting over the mushrooms. Caution should be observed by those who are not familiar since not all mushrooms are edible.
It’s such a waste to leave it to rot so what so what did I do with my one and only mushroom? I added to binagoongang baboy. It added its distinct flavor to the dish. I hope more mushrooms will sprout in my little backyard.
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Yeah, it’s quite a treat to have these mushrooms grow in your backyard. Something to look forward to in the rainy months!
Oo Gay, sana umulan pa. Medyo wala akong nakikitang bumebenta nyan dito sa Bacolod kaya medyo na excite ako.
From the looks of it, Inday Glady, it appears that it is an “amamakol”, not an “uhong”. Whatever, it is delicious, and your adding it to your pork with ginamos makes my mouth salivate with delight as we used to cook the same dish before.
Hehehe… Well that’s uhong for us across Guimaras Strait. Your amamakol maybe what we call pakol, the straw mushroom. But then like you said, whatever it’s called, it tastes delicious.