Why Goa's Almi mushrooms need a break from social media

Roen olmi, which grow on termite hills, are popular for consumption as these are quite flavourful.(Image source: Twitter/siddheshb)

Barring locals, until recently, most people didn't know about the nutty and earthy Almi (also spelt Olmi or Alami). But thanks to Instagram, replete with images of women on roadsides in Goa selling these, wrapped in leaves, gourmands have discovered these with a vengeance.

Generally harvested from the forested areas in Valpoi, Sattari, Cancona, in the Western Ghats in Goa, these command a high price - between Rs 500-1,200 for a small bundle of 50 pieces or approx. Rs 15,000 per kg, during the season.

Roen olmi, Khut olmi and Fugo olmi are some of the wild mushroom species. Of these, the Roen olmi or the Termitomyces species in Goa, which grow on termite hills, are the most popular for consumption, as these are quite flavourful. These have been cultivated for 120 million years strictly by fungus growing and mound or ‘Roen’ building termites.

Sacred for many

Community conservation ethics may have changed, but even today, these mushrooms are considered sacred by some. Picking of mushrooms from termite hills, is preceded by a ritual. The termite hills are considered to be a symbol of Mother Earth and associated with fertility. One comes across termite hills in the precincts of temples in the tribal areas of Goa. Those picking these mushrooms for self-consumption do so in the wee hours, after performing a ritual, by dusting the termite hill with branches of the uskai tree. This is typically done, as it is believed that snakes reside here.

Harmful for the ecosystem

While these mushrooms may lend themselves to mouth-watering delicacies, rising consumption of these is bad news for the ecosystem - thus, they need to be consumed responsibly.

Unlike many other varieties of mushrooms, Almi mushrooms cannot be artificially cultivated and produced on mass scale by humans for their consumption. These wild species play a very important role as a powerful degrading fungus in forest and grassland ecosystems, converting 50 percent dead plant material on ground into rich fertile soil. Without this fungus, the termite hills can’t degrade dead forest biomass which they bring inside the mounds to grow this species.

That apart, these mushrooms destroy virus-carrying vectors (like insects) hiding in dead organic matter in the forest, and ward off diseases affecting humans.

Dr Nandkumar Kamat, scientist and academician, and an authority on wild mushroom diversity of Goa, says that people must desist from popularising these for consumption. He believes that human beings themselves may be responsible for the next pandemic, which may originate from the Western Ghats, if one persists in destroying the ecosystems that may contain harmful viruses and other disease agents.

The Goa State Biodiversity Board (GSBB), too, has been urging consumers to discourage exploitation of these mushrooms and leave behind at least 50 percent young stages on the termite mounds for conservation of their diversity and instead, patronize the much cheaper, more nutritious and cleaner, button and oyster mushrooms.

A balanced approach

A balanced and responsible approach is the need of the hour. The tribals and villagers in Cancona rely on the sale of these as their means of livelihood between July-September; yet, they have been harvesting these in the right way for years now. Adhering to the right steps while harvesting, is the key.

Goa-based lecturer and nature lover Vrushali Kelekar explains: “Local variety of mushrooms and the causes behind their growth are all an integral part of an ecosystem that plays a vital role in the aeration of soil. Mushrooms should be conserved, as in, when they are harvested, care should be taken not to destroy their habitat, as it will affect the health of the soil. Consuming mushrooms should not be an issue if conservation of their habitat is well looked after. Ecological balance should always be at the core of any environmental activity by humans or else, imbalance will lead to disastrous consequences.”

Chefs, too, prefer not to include these in their menus with local offerings. Oliver Fernandes, Partner, The Goan Kitchen, says, “I remember going to the forest to get these. Almi is a much-loved seasonal produce. Sadly, now this is over-harvested due to its high commercial value. Anything that disturbs the ecosystem should not be encouraged. This is a delicate variety and hence can't be cultivated. It is nature's way of saying lay-off and consume other varieties, which can be cultivated. The thrill of eating almi has also been over-done by social media. We should promote other varieties of forest produce like takido, tero, pidduki, and make these mainstream.”

Mushrooms may have nutritional benefits, but those too can be derived from other varieties. Sheryl Afonso e D’souza, clinical nutritionist, too, recommends mushrooms varieties other than almi. “Edible funguses, mushrooms are known for their subtle nutritional value. A storehouse of the ‘sunshine vitamin’, since these grow in the wild, under the blazing heat, these are one of the few foods that contain natural vitamin D,” she says.

All is not lost, and there is good news too. Miguel Braganza, agriculturist and former Secretary, Botanical Society of Goa, sums up succinctly, “These mushrooms have not been 'domesticated', which means human beings do not know how to cultivate these like Oyster mushrooms or Button mushrooms. Collection of Termitomyces mushrooms from National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries and Reserved Forests is prohibited by law and enforced by the Forest Department. Hence, there is no fear of these mushrooms becoming extinct due to harvesting by humans. The mushrooms are harvested from private forests and even from settlement areas where there is termite activity. If a few mushrooms are left behind to produce spores, mushrooms will appear again in the following year. It is like any other crop where the seed is left behind for the next season. Non-utilization of a resource is like dying of starvation by hoarding one's wealth in the Bank or safe.”