Discover the little-known vegan eggs of Goa

Just a few days ago, Easter was celebrated in Goa, and ‘Easter eggs’ was the buzzword. And, on the subject of eggs, another ‘egg’ that comes to mind at this time of the year are the egg-shaped mushrooms of Volvariella volvacea which can be cultivated on bundles of rice paddy straw.

As fungi, mushrooms are vegan and a great source of vitamin B12 — an essential nutrient not found in vegetables and often lacking in vegan diets that exclude milk and other animal products.

The paddy straw mushroom (Volvariella) is successfully cultivated in Goa during October–November and March–June, when rice straw is available and temperatures hover around 35°C.

Though often mistaken as exotic, it is actually the third most consumed mushroom globally. While commonly eaten fresh in regions where it's grown, it is also available canned or sundried and packed like button or mushrooms.

Though often mistaken as exotic, it is actually the third most consumed mushroom globally.

GROWING VOLVARIELLA

In their button stage, straw mushrooms resemble boiled poultry eggs, but without a hard calcareous shell. If cooked before opening out as a typical mushrooms, they could well serve as eggs. 

Paddy straw mushrooms are traditionally grown on sheaves of rice paddy straw tied into bundles. These sheaves are soaked in water, either at room temperature or boiling water, and then placed on a raised platform in layers.

Each layer has the sheaves parallel to each other and the next layer has the sheaves across the first and at a right angle to the earlier layer. 

The straw beds are two to four layers high. It’s essential to use the right spawn when growing your own paddy straw mushrooms.

The spawn is placed between the layers of straw, and the bed is typically covered with polythene sheets or dry banana leaves. It is definitely an egg-citing summertime project!

GROWING GREAT : The paddy straw mushroom grows well on paddy straw.

BEYOND VEGAN

In India, goat meat, known as chevon, is commonly referred to as mutton. Goat rearing is being actively promoted by KVK-North of -Central Coastal Agriculture Research Institute in Old Goa.

Additionally, Goa is set to have a college of fisheries at Daujim, in Old Goa, aiming to boost fish, mussel, prawn and crab farming in the State.

Goat rearing is being actively promoted by KVK-North of ICAR-Central Coastal Agriculture Research Institute in Old Goa.

Apart from that, the Goa College of Agriculture, located at Ela in Old Goa, is promoting beekeeping for honey production and as a vital pollinator for fruit crops. This marks the era of holistic farming.

A live example of this can be seen at Laban de Souza's farm in Kirbhatt, just under a mile from the Goa Raje junction on the Eastern bypass at Nuvem, .

(The author is the former Chairman of the GCCI Agriculture Committee, CEO of Planter's Choice Pvt Ltd, Additional Director of OFAI and Garden Superintendent of Goa University, and has edited 18 books for Goa & Konkan).