Srinagar, Jan. 11 -- World's costliest mushroom is feeling the tremors of habitat destruction in Kashmir.
Locally known as 'Kanegeich', the morel mushroom is a rare sight in the valley as it cannot be cultivated commercially and instead it grows wild in some forest regions. The vegetable is sold at Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 30,000 per kilogram.
Morels or Gucchis are a delicacy used not only in elaborate feasts of Kashmiri weddings but also feature in the menus of high end restaurants in different parts of the world.
However, with the growing habitat destruction and rapid urbanization, the extraction of prized mushrooms is wavering every year.
Forest Departmentdata accessed by The Kashmir Monitor reveals that 88.90 quintals of morel mushrooms we...