Mushrooms under contraband cloud

Buyers should exert morel pressure to ensure ethical sourcing of porcini.

By ET Bureau | Jan 31, 2020, 08.33 AM IST

Contraband porcini mushrooms, or ceps, are not generally on the radar of ethical eaters, especially when tucking into a risotto somewhere in Europe. But the recent arrest and conviction of two Romanian kingpins of a vast (and appropriately) underground network of pickers, sorters, handlers and distributors has exposed the flourishing trade in trafficked mushrooms.

The two had paid a band of itinerant fellow Romanians one-tenth of the market price per kilo of ceps to raid forests in the Haute-Saône region and gather more than the amount allowed under a law that safeguards the precious fungi species.

While dealing in conflict diamonds, foie gras and other unethically sourced luxury items has been largely curbed due to better policing and public awareness, it is clear that hapless porcinis continue to be illegally hunted in coniferous and deciduous forests across Europe to feed the seemingly insatiable restaurant industry.

That the culprits could dodge the bolete with a French court awarding a mere €500 suspended sentence this week is worrisome as such a paltry fine will not put off unscrupulous dealers from targeting this lucrative seasonal mushroom.

Not only must punishment be more stringent, taking a cue from other coveted items, buyers must exert morel pressure on the restaurant industry to ensure ethical sourcing of porcini.

From Ramen Worth $100K To $7 Mn Of Cheese Wheels, Crimes Committed For Food

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A father-son duo was arrested for conning five-star hotels in Mumbai. The two would eat and drink and make a run for it, without paying the bill. They aren’t the only people who have entered a life of crime with food as the focal point.