Ranchi: Jharkhand’s highly awaited seasonal delicacy, the ‘Rugda’ mushroom or ‘vegetarian mutton’, has hit local markets, commanding a premium price of Rs 2,000 per kilogram.Available for 45 days during the monsoon, the sought-after fungus is limited to only a handful of markets across the state capital.Vineeta Devi, a Rugda vendor, said, “We go to the forest early morning to gather ‘Rugda’. We sell it both washed and unwashed, but the washed ones are costlier as it requires additional manual labour.”Kiran Devi, another local vendor, said, “The present cost reflects the initial scarcity of the early season. It will go down to around Rs 800 to Rs 600 per kg when the availability increases.”Rugda grows exclusively in Sal forests. Unlike regular mushroom varieties that sprout above the surface, Rugda thrives a few inches underground beneath Sal trees, nurtured by the moisture of decomposing leaves. During the rainy season, local women meticulously forage by digging around the roots of these trees. This limited wild supply, combined with skyrocketing seasonal demand and a highly perishable nature, as the mushroom spoils within 24 hours, keeps prices exceptionally high.Despite repeated laboratory attempts, researchers have failed to cultivate ’Rugda’ artificially. Manoj Kumar Barnwal, senior scientist in the plant pathology department at Birsa Agricultural University (BAU), said, “We have tried to grow ‘Rugda’ in our labs using various mediums multiple times but it has never been successful. The biggest problem is that we cannot isolate the pure culture, and till we don’t have a culture we cannot grow it.”The scientific roadblock is regional, not just local. Barnwal added, “We also visited agriculture institutes in Chhattisgarh and Odisha, which are the other two states where Rugda is available, but they have also not been able to culture it yet.”Rich in protein, the mushroom remains an emotional and culinary staple across both tribal and non-tribal households in the region. However, cooking it is a highly tedious task. Seema Devi said, “Because it grows underground, it is completely covered in mud. I spend hours scrubbing each piece to ensure no soil particles remain, as it would spoil the taste. The cooking style is almost identical to that of any non-vegetarian curry.”