Kang Hed Top (Mushroom Soup)

As the rainy season approaches, numerous local vegetables starts blossoming, especially the puffball mushroom aka hed top which is now an agricultural product exported worldwide. To Chiang Mai people, this mushroom is regarded as a rare and expensive ingredient, used in several dishes. One of them includes hed top soup with mamao leaves (Lyonia Ovalifolia), a type of sour local plant widely purchased in the markets. Here's the recipe of this awesome seasonal dish.

Wash the mushrooms. Crush a pinch of shallots, garlic and dried chili, add 1 tablespoon of Thai shrimp paste, then mix them together. Add the paste and mushrooms into the pot with boiling water. Leave them for approx. 20 minutes and add the mamao leaves. Season with fish sauce or soy sauce and serve.