Certain foods require no introduction.
A couple of fresh mushrooms, an onion, some garlic, green chilli, oil and salt can work together to make a satisfying meal. The feeling is that of simplicity – the meal neither requires a long list of ingredients nor does it demand any specific presentation.
Mushroom in Kokrajhar, Assam is a produce that has seen recognition as a local agricultural product. The district administration has noted mushroom in Kokrajhar as one of the local produce and the district has identified mushroom cultivation as one of the occupations under the One District One Product (ODOP) scheme. Varieties like oyster and button mushrooms are cultivated in the district.
But mushroom is not just the subject of agriculture and commerce. It also has a place in food.
And when it comes to food in Assam, there is always the contrast between the home-cooked and the restaurant-style.
The home-style mushroom makes a very different story.
Simple Food Made in Simple Ways
The older generation’s approach to cooking food was simple.
Whatever was grown at home or was easily available in the market could be used for making food. There was no specific recipe for cooking rice or vegetables or meat. What was available could be added to the meal.
There was no need to overdo the preparation.
Mushroom fits well into this kind of recipe.
It can be added to the dish made with onions and garlic. Some families may want to add some green chilli for extra spice. Turmeric powder or other spices may be added by some families, while others may be satisfied by making the dish with minimal ingredients. There is no right or wrong way to prepare this particular dish.
That is the charm of home-cooked food.
Two homes can prepare the same dish differently. Two individuals can taste the same dish and feel that it is not the same dish.
Mushroom Cultivation in Kokrajhar, Assam
Mushroom cultivation fits into the category of cultivation in a different way.
It does not require a large tract of land as is needed for cultivation of paddy. It is a unique form of cultivation that is being promoted in Kokrajhar. According to the Kokrajhar district administration, mushroom cultivation has emerged as a prominent occupation. The administration has also focused on providing training, storage space and market access to mushroom cultivators in the district.
For a cultivator, the last aspect is of great importance.
After cultivation comes the responsibility of selling the produce.
A mushroom cultivator would benefit greatly if there is a local market that can buy the produce at a reasonable rate. Transportation of the produce can also be a factor in how much profit is made by the cultivator. In a way, local markets and local food preparation are linked together.
The Old Simplicity of Preparing Food
When people think of old food, they usually imagine dishes that have stood the test of time.
They think of recipes that have remained unchanged since decades or even centuries.
But old food also means old ways of preparing food.
Think of a home kitchen.
There could be various pots and pans on the stove and someone could be cutting green chillies. One kitchen could have rice cooking in one vessel and vegetables in another. There is no need to focus on presentation or anything else. The only aim is to have hot food.
Mushrooms can be added to the dish. They do not have to be mixed with too many spices or over-seasoned. Their taste can be brought out simply by using onions, garlic, green chillies and minimal spices. For people who prefer their food to be prepared in the traditional home-style, this is how mushrooms can fit into their meal.
Mushroom with Rice
No discussion about food in Assam can be complete without talking about rice. Whatever be the dish, it always needs rice to complete the meal.
A mushroom can very well be one of the preparations that go well with rice. Think of a humble home meal. On the plate is steaming hot rice, along with some dal (lentils) and a vegetable dish. Alongside these preparations is one made with mushrooms. The mushrooms have been cooked with onions, garlic and green chillies. There is nothing special about this dish – nothing fancy or expensive. Just a home-style meal that is comforting and wholesome. That is the way in which mushrooms can find place in our everyday food.
From the Produce to the Plate
When a customer buys food, they do not think about where it came from. They think about the presentation and the taste. The produce seller thinks about the customer. The farmer thinks about the produce.
Mushroom cultivation is a very particular process.
The mushrooms need to be cultivated in hygienic conditions and need to be taken proper care of. When they are ready to be sold, they need to be transported to the seller in the most appropriate manner. The connection between customer and producer is important.
Local produce always carries the benefit of proximity. For the customer, it can mean a more hygienic product. For the producer, it can mean a guaranteed sale. For Kokrajhar, improving storage and market infrastructure will enable mushroom cultivators to sell their produce with confidence. The district administration has also focused on strengthening the mushroom ecosystem and supporting entrepreneurs.
So, the journey of mushrooms does not end when they are cultivated. It is only the beginning.
Why Did Kokrajhar Choose Mushroom for ODOP?
The One District One Product (ODOP) scheme promotes the potential and value of products that have significance or potential for a certain district.
In Kokrajhar, the district administration has chosen mushroom for the ODOP. The district administration also mentions providing support to mushroom entrepreneurs under the Prime Minister Formalization of Micro Enterprises (PMFME) scheme.
Such support is often crucial for micro and small enterprises.
A budding entrepreneur will benefit immensely from the training and financial support. An established mushroom cultivator may need the support to sell their produce more effectively. A local product needs local support in order to thrive. Local businesses need local customers. Local customers need a quality product.
A Food Item That Can Be Prepared Simply
One of the best parts of mushrooms is that they can be prepared in many ways.
For someone who wants to enjoy an old-style meal, there are ways to ensure that the mushroom retains its natural aroma and taste.
The first step is to clean the mushroom.
They can be cut into slices and added to a vessel with some oil. Onion, garlic and green chillies can be added to the mixture and stirred for a while. Then the slices can be added to the mixture. Some salt and spices can also be added, depending on the family’s choice. The cooking time can vary according to the choice of the family and the type of mushroom. This is not a complex recipe, but rather a way to prepare a home-style dish. It can be served with rice. The dish is ready.
The Difference Between Restaurant Food and Home-style Food
Restaurants often strive to present food in the most attractive way.
They think about how to present it on the plate, how to make it look more appetizing, how to add more aroma to it.
Home-style food is prepared with different priorities in mind.
It is made to be filling and easy to eat. Sometimes people continue to prepare the same dish again and again because they like it. Mushrooms can be used as a part of such a dish.
It does not have to be something that makes people think of a restaurant experiment. It can simply be another home-style vegetable dish. It is that kind of appeal that makes local produce so endearing.
Kokrajhar’s Evolving Food Traditions
Food traditions are never static.
People move away from villages to cities. New products become available. Supermarkets and restaurants offer new dishes. Young people become more experimental with food.
At the same time, home-style food never disappears. Even in restaurants, rice is cooked the traditional way. Vegetables are prepared in a manner similar to how they are made at home. Local products often continue to hold their place on the dining table. Mushroom is an excellent example of a product that is helping evolve the local food scene while still being a traditional home-style food.
The cultivation of mushroom as a commercial product is an innovation that is changing the local economy. But the way in which mushroom is prepared is also the same way in which it has been prepared traditionally.
The Economy of Local Food Products
There is another dimension to the story of local food products. It is the economy.
Mushrooms are a wonderful example of a product that can be beneficial to both, the producer and the consumer.
A farmer grows mushrooms and sells them to a local market. A local shopkeeper buys them from the farmer and sells them to consumers. Someone buys the mushrooms and prepares lunch for their family. Everyone benefits from the same product. Local economies are built on such transactions. Businesses come into existence because of such transactions. Big companies are not the only reason why local economies flourish.
That is why initiatives like the ODOP are important.
They promote local business and highlight the potential of local products. Local entrepreneurs can do many things to promote their product. In the case of mushroom, much can be done to strengthen the link between producer and consumer.
The Role of Freshness
Mushrooms are not a food product that can be stored for very long.
Freshness plays a big role in their appeal and value.
Proper storage, transportation and handling have to be done when it comes to mushroom cultivation. If a producer can ensure that the mushrooms will be delivered to the consumer in the most viable condition, they will gain much in terms of reputation and profit. Better storage and transportation can also enable them to access a larger market.
The Kokrajhar district administration has recognized the importance of storage and market linkages.
For a growing industry like mushroom cultivation, such initiatives can have a significant impact.
An Old-style Mushroom Lunch
A lunch does not have to be expensive. Imagine a humble home in Kokrajhar. It is lunchtime and the house is filled with the aroma of food.
Rice has been prepared and is steaming in a vessel. The mushrooms have been sliced and are being cooked in a pan along with some onions, garlic and green chillies. Someone has also prepared a vegetable dish. The food is served on the plate and everyone gathers for lunch. It is that simple. It is that humble. Nothing needs to be written to describe this meal. It is simply a local lunch that is had on a daily basis.
This type of meal can never be replicated in a restaurant. It can only be experienced at home. It is different from the food that is presented in different publications as a modern food trend. It is simply a traditional style of home-cooked food.
Local Stories Behind Local Food Items
When people think about the local food items of Assam, they think of a wide variety of dishes and ingredients.
That is correct.
But food items also involve much more than what is presented on the plate. The products that we eat need to be grown and cultivated and brought to the market. Local food items involve a rich ecosystem that makes the production and consumption of the product possible. Local food items can also be found in home kitchens, being prepared by family members.
Vegetables can be grown in home gardens. Local products can be discovered in local markets. Ingredients can be chosen according to the home-style recipe. Local food items can also evolve and become more prominent because of local cultivation efforts. Mushroom is a wonderful example of such a product. It may not have a long-standing traditional history, but it fits well into the local food traditions. Its prominence as a local agricultural product has helped it gain recognition.
Mushroom and the Future of Kokrajhar
As mentioned, the future of mushroom cultivation in Kokrajhar looks bright.
There is scope for expanding mushroom cultivation and improving the quality of the product. More training is necessary, especially for the people who are engaged in mushroom cultivation. More attention needs to be paid to storage in order to ensure that the product reaches the consumer in the best possible condition. Greater effort needs to be made to establish and strengthen market linkages. More awareness needs to be created among consumers so that there is a demand for the local product. Small entrepreneurs can think of various ways to promote the local product and make it accessible to customers. The district administration has ensured that mushroom is the local product, thus enabling it to gain attention and recognition. The future will show whether more entrepreneurs will engage in mushroom cultivation and whether more customers will buy the local product.
A Traditional Atmosphere Associated with a Modern Business
There is something special about mushrooms in Kokrajhar.
It is a product that represents development and growth. It also represents tradition and simplicity. It fits well into the home-style meal. A home-style meal using mushrooms can be as simple as adding the produce to one’s daily vegetable dish. A farmer sees the mushroom as an opportunity to generate income. A customer sees it as a fresh product that can be turned into food. A family sees it as an option for lunch. All of these ideas come together to create a single dish.
DesiBiz.in and Stories of Local Products
At DesiBiz.in, local products can be discussed in various ways. When it comes to local products, it is not always necessary to think of them as only commodities.
Every local product has a journey. It begins with cultivation, then moves on to harvesting, then to the market, and finally to the kitchen. By the time it reaches the kitchen, it has become food. It has come a long way from where it began. At every step of the way, there are people who are involved in making the product reach the consumer. For Kokrajhar, the mushroom has become an important part of this journey.
Final Thoughts
Mushroom in Kokrajhar, Assam represents the connection between food, agriculture and business.
The district administration has identified mushroom as the local product and highlighted mushroom cultivation as an opportunity for local entrepreneurs. But mushrooms also have their own charm outside the realm of commerce. They can fit well into the home-style meal. A farmer can grow them and a customer can buy them. The produce can be used for making a dish with onions and garlic. It can also be added to one’s regular daily vegetable preparation. There is no single recipe for using mushrooms. For someone, it can simply be a way to ensure that there is food on the plate. For someone else, it can be the preparation of an exciting new dish. Either way, the style of home-style cooking will always be special. As mushroom cultivation grows in Kokrajhar, this simple produce will continue to be familiar to the people of the district. As a website that loves to discuss local products, DesiBiz.in believes that the journey of this local produce will be interesting to follow.
