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Central Vietnam is gradually transitioning from the sweltering heat of summer to the cool chill of the rainy season and tropical depressions. People are starting to flock to buy Tram mushrooms because in June and July, the price per kilogram was already 40-50 thousand dong, but now it's only around 20-30 thousand dong.
They aren't always available; Melaleuca mushrooms usually flourish in the autumn. During the transitional seasons, Hue experiences occasional rain followed by sunshine, leaving the semi-mountainous areas where acacia, melaleuca, and elephant ear trees grow damp. After a few days of rain, people in these areas gather in the forest to pick Melaleuca mushrooms—or rather, to gather them, as they are scattered everywhere.
Tram mushrooms only grow for a short period. The spores of the tram mushroom are dispersed in nature, and when rain falls and creates suitable humidity, they germinate into mature mushrooms. Therefore, when typhoon number 5 swept through Hue recently, many women and elderly people waited for the sun to clear before going into the forest to pick mushrooms in time for the morning market. People in areas with abundant tram mushrooms jokingly call them a "gift from heaven," not cultivated but simply enjoyed, as each season, each family can pick up several hundred kilograms to sell at the market.
Hue people are already famous for their meticulousness in the kitchen. With just "gifts from nature," their family meals feature countless unique dishes made from Tram mushrooms, such as braised Tram mushrooms with pepper, Tram mushroom soup, Tram mushroom porridge, Tram mushrooms stewed with shrimp and meat... (In the cold season, a bowl of Tram mushroom porridge sprinkled with plenty of pepper is a welcome addition to any charcoal stove!). To reduce the bitterness of the mushrooms, home cooks will rinse them with salt water before cooking, as well as blanch them briefly in boiling water to remove toxins inherent in all types of mushrooms.
This "gift from nature" doesn't last long, each harvest lasting a maximum of five to seven days. The mushrooms are most beautiful on the first days of the rainy season, but if the rain lasts for several days, they rot. After each harvest of Tram mushrooms, the locals wait for sunny days to dry the soil and decaying leaves so that the next crop can grow. Therefore, any tourist who comes to Hue and gets to enjoy delicious dishes made with Tram mushrooms is considered lucky to have experienced something special during their trip.
