Mushrooms and Other Edible Fungi

It would be impossible here to give a full list of edible fungi in Laos. In Les plantes utiles du Laos (I^ére Série) Jules Vidal lists dozens and explains how much doubt exists about their scientific classification and vernacular names. Here, however, are the most important nine, six of which fall conveniently into pairs.

Hed khao is the white mushroom, which does not seem to be listed by Vidal, but is commonly eaten. Hed bod is a similar mushroom, but pale brown in colour. It appears to be the same as Vidal’s hêt bôt, which he describes as being common in the Vientiane market in November and for which he gives the scientific name LENTINUS KURZIANUS.