Hanoians spend cash on cool penny bun mushroom
Boletus edulis, king bolete or more the commonly known penny bun mushroom is becoming popular in Hanoi due to its supposed cooling properties that can reduce body heat.
Before the monsoon season, Hanoi local Ho Thi Thanh Thao ordered a large amount of penny bun mushroom from Dalat.
Thao said not only did the mushroom have tasty flavour but could also apparently cool and calm the blood which make it a perfect food for summer.
But this kind of mushroom is rare in Vietnam and can only be found in the pine forests of Lam Dong Province. Fresh mushroom costs VND500,000 (US$23) per kilo in Dalat but the delivery service is so bad that most of the mushroom are damaged by the time they arrive in Hanoi.
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"This year I found out a trader in Hanoi who sell this kind of mushroom at VND800,000 per kilo, excluding the shipping fee," Thao said and added that she had to order at least a week prior in order to have a good batch of mushrooms.
Phan Thi Luyen, a local in Cau Giay District, also claimed to be a fan of the mushroom and often ordered three to five kilos when she had the chance.
Nguyen Van Duc, a trader in Hanoi said many people started getting interested in the penny bun mushroom this year.
"About 25kg of the mushrooms has just arrived recently but it's only enough for half of my orders," he said.
Declining wild numbers have added to the cost, with some suppliers limiting the amount per customer.
