The Guchchi is a wild mushroom that is grown in the foothills of the Himalayas and is priced at around Rs 30,000 per kg (€330). The mushroom grows in conifer forests across temperate regions, and the cool foothills of the Himalayas, in Himachal, Uttaranchal and Jammu & Kashmir are ideal territory for them. One of the reasons for its high price and demand is availability.
Guchchi mushrooms cannot be cultivated commercially and instead they grow wild only in some regions like the Kangara Valley, Jammu and Kashmir, Manali and other parts of Himachal Pradesh after the snowfall period.
The fungus is popular in the US, France, Europe, Switzerland and Italy. However, to collect it, one has to go very high into the mountains. Guchchi mushrooms need to be soaked in hot water for at least an hour to moisten them and to remove all the dirt and sand particles that may cling on to the porous skin of the mushroom.
Source: orissapost.com
