Mushrooms are a growing success
Yunnan province serves up a treat with edible delights that can be cooked in a variety of ways
As summer arrives with abundant rainfall in Southwest China's Yunnan province, a panorama of wild mushrooms sprouts across the area. In the mountains and fields, villagers flock to harvest these mushrooms, while markets bustle with a diverse array of fungi.
When it comes to preparing wild mushrooms, local residents exhibit their culinary prowess — frying, deep-frying, stir-frying, stewing, consuming them raw, or making soup.
Each type of mushroom is treated differently to fully showcase its distinct and delicious flavor.
The love of wild mushrooms runs deep in the veins of the people of Yunnan, a province renowned for its rich biodiversity.
Historically, limited arable land and low grain production capacity led to mushrooms taking pride of place on locals' dining tables.
Wild mushrooms, rich in protein and with unique flavor, have been passed down as a distinctive culinary tradition.
Blessed with excellent conditions and situated on a low-latitude plateau with a complex topography, the province has more than 900 out of the world's 2,500 known species of edible wild mushrooms.
Yunnan boasts a staggering 36 percent of global varieties and 90 percent of China's species, according to Xinhua News Agency.
The region's annual average yield of wild edible mushrooms hovers around 500,000 metric tons.
This abundance has spurred the extension of Yunnan's wild mushroom industry chain, with dried products, canned goods and ready-to-eat items that break seasonal constraints, allowing consumers at home and abroad to savor nature's bounty whenever they want.
