The state of Jammu and Kashmir is famous all over the world for its beautiful landscape, charming natural beauty against the magnificent backdrop of mountains. But there's something else that lies within the dense forests here, which probably not everyone would know of. In the dense forest cover of Baramulla and Kupwara, grows a very rare kind of mushroom called Morel Mushrooms. Called Kanagaech or Gucci it is a species of wild mushrooms that is the most expensive vegetable, costing as much as a gram of gold! The Jammu and Kashmir Tourism official Twitter account tweeted a picture of this rare mushroom found in the forests here. What Makes Rare White Truffle World's Most Expensive Mushrooms?

Morchella Esculenta (scientific name), is a species of edible wild mushroom which have a great demand but scarce supply. Commonly known as Morel Mushrooms it looks like a greyish sponge with lighter ridges. They can grow up to 2 to 7 cms. The caps of these mushrooms stand erect and range in colour from pale cream, white, yellow to brown. Coming to the taste, they are said to attract even those who are not fond of mushrooms! They have an earthy and nutty flavour. Because they are so delicious, they are a part of gourmet items. Since they are so hard to find, the cost is expensive. They are the most highly prized of all edible mushrooms. These mushrooms were also part of Donald Trump's dinner menu on his visit to India last month.

Here's a Pic of The Morel Mushrooms from J&K:

These mushrooms also grow in the deep interiors of Bandipore, Ganderbal, Anantnag, Shopian, Kishtwar, Rajouri and Poonch districts of North Indian Himalayan states. However, the large scale felling of trees has also affected the supply of these wild delicacies.

These mushrooms have a lot of health benefits too. Because they grow in rich quality soil, they have a lot of minerals and vitamins. They are a rich content of iron, manganese, zinc, vitamin D, folate, etc depending on the soil they grow in. They thus greatly help in boosting one's immunity. As per scientific data, these mushrooms are ideal for weight loss because of high mineral and low-fat content.

 

 

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(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 24, 2020 11:34 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).