Markets across twin cities, Bhilai and Durg are flooded with different types of mushrooms and among them the most popular are Bhimbhora, Dhingari and Rugras. Phuttu, local mushroom which grows in abundance in the wilderness during the monsoon season, is nowadays in high demand in city markets. Even at the price of Rs 400 to 1500 Per Kg, citizens are seems to be fervent for buying these mushrooms and the sellers are making brisk business through it. The edible fungus grows extensively in the forests near sal and teak trees from where they are dug out by villagers after thunderstorms. Due to its high nutritive value, people used to make delicacies using mushroom in the rainy season. The demand for seasonal ‘bhimbhora’, which usually grows in Dhondi, Keshkal, Dalli Rajhara, and other forest areas and are being sold at Rs 500-600 per KG in Steel City markets, is the highest. Raja Dewangan, a resident of Township area, who was buying mushroom from a roadside vendor at Garage Road in Bhilai, said “Everyone in my family loves dishes made through mushroom, especially when I make it as a curry. It is popular because it tastes like meat and is also highly nutritious.

 

They are rich in vitamins and minerals”. Gyanesh Verma, a street vender selling local mushrooms phuttu near at Sector-8 Crossing in Garage Road area said that last year, prices were higher too following poor production, and the mushrooms sold for Rs 500 to Rs 1,500 per kg. This year due to intermittent rainfall, production was high and locals got plenty of opportunity to dig for rugra and bhimbhora mushrooms. Last year, heavy rainfall did not allow the mushrooms to grow and they remained embedded deep in the soil.

 

“We generally used to collect the mushrooms from forests and sell them in the market because it has better taste and higher protein content as compare to oyster mushroom, which produces through artificial seeds”, said another vendor, selling local mushroom on the roadsides. They added that these mushrooms sprout after lightning strikes the ground. Last year, the mushrooms were available in the local market for a month. But this year, vendors are expected to do brisk business right up to August month.