Guchhi Mushroom

Synopsis

Gucchi, also known as sponge mushroom, is exceptional, rare, and expensive. The discovery of this fungus in the jungles of Himachal Pradesh has left food lovers in awe by capturing the interest of gourmands across the globe.

Wild Guchchi, also known as Morel mushrooms command a huge demand despite their high price tag. These are prized for their spongy, honeycomb texture and unique flavor. Also, as Gucchi mushrooms cannot be cultivated commercially and instead grow wild only in some regions like the Mustang, Upper Dolpa, Mugu, Jumla, and rare lakes around Nepal, and other parts of Himachal Pradesh after the snowfall period, adds to their luxurious cost. Each year, the valley produces about 25,000 kilos of morels of which about 90 percent are exported, particularly to Japan and Thailand. Under this project, Aseem plans to employ Gujjar-Bakarwals, who will be collecting mushrooms and Aseem will be buying a defined amount of these mushrooms every year and will be selling them to pre-identified customers.