Curious curry-flavoured mushrooms set to tempt tastebuds

A mushroom that tastes like curry - it's not the creation of genetic engineering, but an entirely natural food that grows wild in Scotland.

Now, the small, brown but potent-tasting curry-scented milkcap, or Lactarius camphoratus, previously regarded as little more than a curiosity by mushroom foragers, is to be collected and sold commercially.

Liz Walsh, director of Glasgow-based Wildfoods, said: "We believe we are the first company to sell the curry-scented milkcap commercially. It is a fascinating natural food that really does smell and taste of curry and grows alongside many other mushrooms in the wonderful forests we have here in Scotland. And we strongly believe there could be an excellent market for it out there among food lovers."

The company believes the curry mushroom has many potential culinary uses for imaginative cooks, both as an addition to Indian-style dishes, particularly vegetable curries. Mushroom curry, made using normal mushrooms, is a popular Indian dish. It could also be used as spicy condiment or to add a touch of heat to more conventional mushroom dishes, such as risotto or pasta sauces.

It will sell at £10 ($28.65) for 250g. Wildfoods sell both fresh and dried mushrooms, wild herbs and leaves and exotic sea weeds, all by mail order from its website. Although it specialises in Scottish foods, it also sells foods from Europe and unusual spices from Australia.

- INDEPENDENT