Sweet and bitter melaleuca mushroom

I returned home when the mushroom season was almost over.

At the familiar corner of the market, there were only two sellers left, instead of the scene of aunts lining up next to baskets of shiny, dark brown straw mushrooms. The late-season straw mushrooms were small and somewhat crumbly, but better than nothing.

I love the rainy season, the season of mushrooms. At the beginning of the rainy season, it is termite mushrooms, in the middle of the rainy season, it is straw mushrooms, and during the rainy season, it is Melaleuca mushrooms. I remember when it was mushroom season, every weekend off from school, I followed my father to the Melaleuca forest, the rubber forest near my house to pick Melaleuca mushrooms, termite mushrooms. Termite mushrooms are a bit rare, but Melaleuca mushrooms are often "found in the right nest".

I love the feeling of parting the leaves and being surprised to see round, shiny brown mushrooms growing underneath. Choose mushrooms that have just grown and are sturdy, use a sharpened bamboo stick to scrape off the stems, then wash them many times in salt water to remove the sand. Many people often boil the mushrooms to reduce the bitterness, but my mother said, "What a waste, bitterness is medicine!"

Just like that, my mother divided the pile of straw mushrooms into two halves, one half was stir-fried to make porridge, the other half was braised with pepper and pork belly to save for rice. Straw mushroom porridge is probably the dish that appears most frequently in my house during the rainy season. Sometimes my mother cooks porridge with snakehead fish, sometimes she doesn't have the conditions to cook it vegetarian. Stir-fry straw mushrooms with fragrant garlic oil, add a little salt, and after a few minutes, the water will be almost overflowing. When the porridge is cooked, add the whole pan of stir-fried mushrooms, season to taste, add onion and pepper and it's ready to serve. At that time, I only dared to sip the porridge plain and didn't dare touch any mushrooms because I was afraid of the bitterness. The porridge also has a bitter taste of mushrooms, eating it often becomes a habit and "gets better", I don't know when I'm addicted.

While a hot pot of porridge with Melaleuca mushrooms is perfect for a rainy afternoon, Melaleuca mushroom soup or Melaleuca mushrooms stir-fried with sweet potato leaves are perfect for a hot summer afternoon. As for the stir-fry, Mom lets the mushrooms simmer for a while to soften the bitterness.

The rainy season's water spinach is lush, my mother said it must be stir-fried rare to be delicious. Put the pan on the stove, fry at least 1 garlic bulb until fragrant, then add the boiled mushrooms, squeeze out the excess water and stir-fry. When the shiny straw mushrooms are firm, add the water spinach, stir-fry a few times, season to taste and scoop it out onto a plate to serve. The straw mushrooms are just cooked and a little crunchy, the water spinach is still rare so it is crispy.

Melaleuca mushrooms are bitter, but stir-fried with sweet potato leaves is strangely sweet, of course with a sweet aftertaste, a sweetness that lingers in the throat after lunch is finished, lying on the hammock swinging for an afternoon nap.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/diem-den-hap-dan/ngot-dang-nam-tram-20201001195050356.htm