BAMBANG, Nueva Viscaya— Mother Nature, indeed, has a way of providing for the plucky residents of barangay Buag, in this municipality of Bambang, Nueva Viscaya, whenever rains come tumbling down.
When rains blanket the province, these perk up the mushroom hunting pleasure of Nueva Viscayans who roam the fields, mountains and hills in search for that elusive “manna dropped by heaven” that only rural folks have the luxury of enjoying.
One Buag resident said, “Mushrooms always makes me think of fairies.”
While another, who waxed poetic, said, “Out of the loosened wet soil, my cap spreads abroad, atop my stalk, besides another. Then another…. and another…So together we flourish, as mushrooms after the rain.”
Residents of barangay Buag swear that wild mushrooms, as compared with cultured ones, possess an earthy, slightly savory flavor.
Such delicious flavor vary from the rich and decadent to subtle, delicate and fresh, depending on the type of wild mushroom, residents explained during a study conducted by the Department of Biological Sciences of Central Luzon State University (CLSU) , Munoz, Nueva Ecija.
Titled,”Ethnomycological Expedition: Mycophagy, Species Listing and Toxicity Assessment of Macrofungi in Bambang, Nueva Viscaya, Philippines,” and was conducted by CLSU researchers Angeles M. De Leon, Jerry C. Lagman, Jeanne Rose C. Lazaga, Pamela H. Maniquez, Pia Louise A. Martinez, Janine D. Nieves and Sofronio P. Kalaw.
If mushrooms are the favorite food of the gods aside from Ambrosia, wild mushrooms, happen also to be the favorite food of many residents of Nueva Viscaya that whenever they spot children who have gathered wild mushrooms, the buy these from the tots.
It was discovered by the CLSU researchers that “15 macrofungi (wild mushrooms) were declared as utilized either as food, medicine, or as an additional source of income by the community.”
These 15 wild mushrooms being used by Nueva Viscaya residents are: taingang daga, kudit, kabuteng kawayan, kabuteng punso, kabuteng susong biik, kabuteng maya, kabuteng ginikan, uong ti garami, kabuteng dayami, kabuteng acasia, kabuteng may sing-sing, uong ti saba, kabuteng kabayo, lok-lukanos and kudi-kudi.
A note about macrofungi and microfungi: macrofungi are those that are easily, visible fruiting bodies such as mushrooms, puffballs, polypores and so on, while microfungi are the molds, plant rusts, smuts, mildews and so on.
During the study, 53 wild mushrooms were collected, of which eight were identified by Nueva Viscaya residents with their local names.
As scientifically stated by the researchers, “the study was conducted to document the macrofungal species utilization and diversity of wild macrofungi in barangay Buag, Bambang, Nueva Viscaya, to come up with a species listing of macrofungi in the area and screening of selected macrofungi for its teratogenic and cytotic activity.”
Out of the 53 macrofungal samples taken in barangay Buag, 44 were identified, 24 were identified to species level, and 20 identified to genus level, all belonging to 20 families, 32 genera and 24 species, the researchers explained.
Mushrooms, both the cultured and the wild, have been pointed out by the CLSU study as “functional foods,” due to their various nutritional benefits.
CLSU researchers said they have taken note of many studies that pointed out properties of mushrooms as anti-cancer, anti-allergy, anti-cholesterol, anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, anti-spasmodic, anti-fungal and anti-viral.
There have also been reports that certain mushroom varieties have been employed as potential anti-cancer drugs against bladder carcinoma, the CLSU researchers noted.
All the respondents of barangay Buag were familiar with wild mushrooms, some of the Isinai, Ilocano, highlanders (Igorots) and Pangalatok living there simply identifying these as “uong,” while some Isinai residents called these “kolat” or “amamuwum,” the study reflected.
Most (89 per cent) of the respondents of Isinai, Pangasinense and highlanders pointed out that “wild mushrooms usually appear during rainy season where lightning occurs.”
At the same time, the same percentage of respondents believed mushrooms can cure several diseases, citing some like cough and cold, headache, arthritis, toothache, low blood and high blood pressure.
But gathering mushrooms from the wilds, one must be adept at differentiating the edible from the poisonous, the respondents told the CLSU researchers.
Usually, the uninitiated go with those knowledgeable about wild mushrooms. That is where the learning starts. Wild mushroom hunters often carry sturdy poles with them used to poke around grasses and as a weapon to flush out deadly snakes that might be around nearby in their search for the edible fungi, the respondents narrated.
As experience teaches the uninitiated, they soon acquire a degree of skill, a keen sense of smell and a thorough knowledge of wild mushroom varieties, toxic or edible.
Mushroom hunters are taught to keep away from a certain wild mushroom called “uong ti uleg,” a hallucinogenic variety that causes drug effects when cooked and eaten, or psychedelic trips.
Uong ti uleg can be found almost everywhere in Nueva Viscaya and distinguished from other wild mushrooms as these possess crowns around the stalks, enticing to uninitiated mushroom gathers to pick them up, the respondents told the CLSU researchers.
Respondents in barangay Buag, Bambang were the Isinai, 70 per cent; Ilocano, 22 per cent; highlanders, 6 per cent, and Pangasinense, 2 per cent. Their ages ranged from 26 to 45 years old.
Since Nueva Viscaya State University (NVSU) is near Buag, 32 per cent of respondents were enrolled in college, while 30 per cent finished college. Fifty-two per cent have blue collar jobs while 34 per cent were unemployed.
Most of the entire ethnic groups collected mushrooms for home consumption and 46 per cent of the respondents consumed mushroom once in a week.
Those who have an abundance of collected mushrooms sell this as additional source of income, prices of wild mushrooms vary according to seasons, they said to the CLSU researchers.
The ethnic communities covered by the study found out that 84 per cent recognize wild edible mushrooms from inedible ones, 16 per cent recognize these by smell and 36 per cent by substrate.
Barangay Buag as study site was considered culturally diverse since majority of household population in Nueva Viscaya were classified by the Philippine Statistical Authority (PSA – Region 2) as Ilocano, 62.3%) and for the other ethnic groups they are either Ikalahan/Ilanuan (11.6%), Ifugao, (6.3%), Tagalog, (5.9%), Ibaloi/Inibaloi (4.4%), Ayangan, (0.8%), Bugkalot (0.3%) and the remaining 8.40% belonged to other ethnic groups.
A letter of request was given to the mayor of Bambang as well as the barangay chair of Buag for the conduct of the CLSU study, based on presence of various ethnic communities.
The wild macrofungi were collected during the rainy days. All specimens were photographed in their habitat and representative specimens were collected.
Wood-rotting macrofungi were cut off from barks of trees where they were attached. Ground and leaf-litter mushrooms were dug carefully so as not to damage their bases.
The genera and species of macrofungi observed in the area were listed and the number of each genera and species was noted. This was done to give preliminary estimate of the species on the site.
Listing the different species found in the area was done for species occurrence analysis, the researchers emphasized.
All the macrofungal species were then labeled, wrapped in wax paper, placed in paper bags and transported to CLSU’s Center for Tropical Mushroom Research and Development, also at CLSU’s sprawling university reservation in Munoz.
Local mycological knowledge included the use of mushrooms as food, medicine, recreational objects, for beliefs and myths as well as for income generation four households in the study site.
In order to reduce wildlife disruption and to explore the potential of mushrooms in improving living conditions, the CLSU study recommended that further studies should be conducted elsewhere in Region 02.
Ethnomycological research is ideal in documenting the traditional knowledge and practices on mushroom utilization, the researchers explained.
They further explained that providing an accurate nomenclature for undiscovered species of mushroom from the wild can be accomplished by conducting ethnomycological surveys.
CLSU’s documentation of macrofungi species from Bambang, Nueva Viscaya can provide baseline information on the species’ diversity and pharmacological potential and can serve as a reference for future researches in the field of mycology.