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UPSC Prelims 2022 · Environment · Species Watch
With reference to "Gucchi" sometimes mentioned in the news, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- It is a fungus.
- It grows in some Himalayan forest areas.
- It is commercially cultivated in the Himalayan foothills of north-eastern India.
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 3 only
- (c) 1 and 2
- (d) 2 and 3
Show the answer and explanation
Answer: (c) 1 and 2
A fungus (morel) found in Himalayan forests, not farmed.
Statement by statement
1. ✓ CORRECT Gucchi is the morel mushroom (Morchella).
2. ✓ CORRECT It grows wild in the conifer forests of Himachal, J&K and Uttarakhand.
3. ✗ WRONG It has not been commercially cultivated — it is collected from the wild, which is why it is so costly.
The idea
Gucchi is the morel, a wild mushroom with a honeycomb cap. It comes up for a few weeks in spring in Himalayan conifer forests, after the snow melts. It is hard to farm; in India it is collected from the wild. Villagers search the forest floor for it, one mushroom at a time. That is why it is among the costliest foods of India.
Snow melts in spring → Morels appear on the forest floor → Villagers collect them by hand → Dried and sold → Very high price because supply is wild and small
The trap
A costly crop sounds like it must be farmed. Its price comes from being wild-only.
Also know
It is collected in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Common farmed mushrooms are different: button, oyster and milky mushrooms.
🔒 Gucchi = morel mushroom, wild in Himalayan forests, not commercially cultivated.