In the quaint villages bordering Kerala and Karnataka, a unique culinary tradition has quietly flourished for over half a century. The dishes prepared from Coprinopsis cinerea, a mushroom variety that naturally grows on areca nut husks, have been a hallmark of the Rajapur Saraswat Brahmin kitchen.
Fifty families in Nellore Kammrajeh collect the mushrooms once a year and cook them, while families in the Sullya region collect the mushrooms four times in two years. They rave about its delectable taste, especially when paired with cucumber rice and neer dosa.
The delicacies and the ingredient caught the attention of the Central Plantation Crops Research Institutions (CPCRI) in Kasaragod following reports about it by farmer-journalist Sreepadre, prompting the institute to embark on a study.
