Kankannool, a type of puffball mushroom, is usually harvested from the ground. These edible mushrooms resemble marble potatoes.
BUCAY, Abra (PIA) – A mushroom that’s more expensive than pork is another Abrenian food that sprouts with the onset of rains in May or June.
“Kankannool” or “bulbul-o” or “gipgip-ok” in local tongue is a type of puffball mushroom that usually comes in circular or oblong shapes. Its pale-colored underside gradually darkens as it matures.
Jenie Grace Alvis, an Abrenian who harvests Kankannool for household consumption, shared that this type of mushroom usually grows on the forest floor under towering trees.
“Ti experience ko nga apan mangala ti kankannool ket sobra nga rigat ta uray nga agling-et amin nga bukel ti mata kada agpigerger ti tumtumeng nga sumang-at ti bantay isu siguro daydiay nga pirme ti ngina na ti kankannool,” she added.
[I experienced hunting for kankannool and it is so hard, you sweat profusely and knees shake while climbing up the mountain, so this may be the reason why kankannool is so expensive.]
The price ranges from P350 per kilo during peak season to P1,300 per kilo off-season. The prized local food is usually found under clusters of trees such as Duyong (Palosapis), Apnit (Red Lauan), Pedped, and Eucalyptus trees which are found in the forested areas of the province. The fallen leaves from the trees serve as breeding ground for the mushroom to grow.
Once harvested, the kankannool is washed to remove the mud and soil before it is sliced into smaller pieces. It can now be cooked in different ways such as adobo and dinengdeng (traditional vegetable stew). It can also be preserved by soaking it whole in vinegar and refrigerating it to prolong its shelf life by at least a year.
“Idi makitak ti presyo ti kankanool ket aysus igatang ko lattan ti karne diayay igatang ko ti kankannool ti karne,” said Alvis.
[When I saw the price of kankannool, I’d rather buy meat.]
The kankannool which only grows once a year and mostly found in the upland municipalities of the province has become a part of the Abrenian gastronomy highlighting the abundance of nature and simple living in the province. (JJPM-PIA CAR, Abra with RJA, PIA-GIP)
