26/07/2026
Olmi (also called Almi) are prized wild edible mushrooms that appear in Goa’s forests with the arrival of the monsoon. Highly perishable and impossible to cultivate, they are hand-harvested by villagers who have gathered them from the wild for generations. Their delicate earthy, nutty flavour makes them one of the season’s most cherished delicacies, often prepared as simple fries or in traditional curries.
One of my favourite ways to cook them is Olmyache Tonak. The secret to a good tonak lies in restraint - less masala, more mushroom. The spices should only enhance the natural flavour, never overpower it.
On a recent visit to the Kunbi community, I was curious to learn whether the way these mushrooms are harvested had changed over the years. That’s when Sangeeta, one of the women from the community, shared a beautiful practice with me.
She told me that when they come across a cluster of mushrooms - say around thirty - they never pick every single one. They harvest only about twenty and leave the rest behind. It is their way of giving back to nature, allowing the mushrooms to regenerate while expressing gratitude for what the forest has provided.
A simple practice, yet a powerful reminder that taking only what we need is one of the oldest forms of sustainability.
