Eggs in the Forest: A Taste of Trust
What begins as a curious mushroom hunt turns into a lesson in trust, teamwork, and nature’s surprises.
A Foraging Adventure in the Hills of Định Quán
I’ve eaten all kinds of mushrooms before — termite mushrooms, shiitake, straw mushrooms, king oyster, enoki, button, wood ear, and even the fancy ones from Ashima hotpot 😆.
I remember a scene from a martial arts film where a warrior warned a princess: “The more colorful and vibrant a mushroom looks, the more poisonous it is.” (From the film Thuyết Đường – Hoàng Hà Đại Phong Vân, starring Tony Leung and Cherie Chung.)
We trekked across half of a 13-hectare hill and gathered just enough to fill a conical hat. Side note: I didn’t pick them — my teammates did. At first, the mushroom looked as cute as an egg. But an hour after being plucked, it bloomed into a flamboyant display.
We Googled to be sure — it was Caesar’s mushroom, also nicknamed “Egg mushroom.” The woman who left the city to care for this hill sautéed it with garlic and onions, serving it to the whole crew. The ride back from Định Quán to Saigon was filled with suspense. Everyone kept checking in: “Any symptoms yet?”
After 48 hours, the whole team was still alive and well — relieved and laughing. It was part of a field trip to improve our career exploration program for students.
A deep breath. All is well.
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