Family:  Sparassidaceae. 
Synonym: Clavaria crispa, Manina crispa, Masseeola crispa, Sparassis radicata.
Common name: Cauliflower fungus, wood cauliflower mushroom
Local Name: Bakra (बकरा), Ban bakri

Bakra is a wild edible mushroom of Western Himalayas widely distributed all over the temperate zone ranging from 1800 to 2800m. It is commonly seen growing from the roots or bases of trees primarily under hardwoods–especially oaks–but occasionally reported under conifers. It  grow as a saprophyte or week parasite on the stumps of conifers and some hardwoods, especially oaks causing a brown rot or a butt rot. It often found recurring yearly in the same location; in mixed forests of Pinus wallichiana, Picea smithithiana, Cedrus deodara, Quercus incana, Q. semicarpifolia, Quercus dilata, Abies pindrow and  Rhododendron arboreum^1,2. 

At the base of coniferous trees, particularly pine, it forms a mycorrhizal relationship with the roots. Bakra is characterized by its intricate, branched, pale yellow to light brown coloured structure resembling a cauliflower. That might be the region that this mushroom is commonly known as Cauliflower fungus or wood cauliflower mushroom. The fungus thrives in forests having fine soil and high moisture ². 

Bakra has been traditionally foraged and consumed by locals residing in hills for its delicate texture and rich flavour. Itis considered as an excellent edible species, thorough washing is required. Young specimens are fleshy and preferred. It must be cooked on low fire. Bakra is  highly regarded for its unique appearance and significant culinary value. However, it’s quite challenging to wash it because of its large intricate and branched structure. So, it is advisable to blanch Bakra in boiling water for 2–3 minutes before being added to the rest of the dish. Bakra is well known for its medicinal significance arising from a variety of pharmacologically active substances. Its medicinal value is primarily due to its high β-glucan (sparan) content which can constitute more than 40% of the dry weight of the mushroom ³. So, it can be incorporated in life style as a health supplement. 

Fungus Body:

Mycelium: Underground network of hyphae, saprotrophic, primarily feeds on decaying wood.

Fruiting Body: Large, cauliflower-like, irregularly shaped mass with intricately branched, ribbon-like lobes. Creamy white to pale yellow or light brown, darkens with age. 10.0-20.0 cm in height and 20.0-40.0cm broad, can reach up to 60 cm in diameter, weighing several kilograms. Fleshy with a pleasant smell and taste mild. 

Stalked to without stalk, stalk 3.0-8.0 cm wide, yellowish brown, attached to the base of root.

Hymenium: layer distinct, forming 30.0-40.0 μm zone. 

Spore Print: whitish.

Bakra mushroom is harvested in rainy season in month of July and August. Pick young one for cooking. 

Bakra, is a unique and flavourful wild mushroom with a crisp texture. It can be used in various traditional and modern recipes. Fresh fruiting bodies are used for making delicious vegetables. These are boiled, water decanted, squeezed and fried in oil in hot. Species is likened by the people of area very much. The mushroom is also dried and dehydrated, retaining much of its flavour and texture and stored for winter uses, when other vegetable is not available. This form is commonly used in broths and sauces. Sometime it is ground into a powder to serves as a seasoning or a functional food ingredient.

 Here are some recipes that highlight the distinct taste and texture of this mushroom:

 Bakra mushroom Soup: 

This traditional soup is a comforting way to enjoy the rich, earthy flavour of young Bakra.

Ingredients:

200g Bakra mushroom, cleaned and chopped; 1 onion, finely chopped: 2 garlic cloves, minced: 2 tablespoons butter or ghee: 1liter vegetable or chicken broth: 2 potatoes, peeled and diced: 1 carrot, diced: 1 celery stalk, diced: 1 bay leaf: 1 teaspoon thyme (Ban ajwain): Salt and pepper to taste: Fresh coriander and grated cheese for garnish. 

Method:

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and sauté until translucent. Add the diced potatoes, carrot, and celery. Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the chopped Bakra mushroomand cook for an additional 5 minutes. Pour in the broth, add the bay leaf and thyme, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Remove the bay leaf, season with salt and pepper, and serve hot with fresh coriander on top.

Bakra mushroom Stir-Fry.

This quick stir-fry combines the delicate flavour of Bakra mushroom with fresh vegetables and a savoury sauce.

Ingredients:

150g Bakra mushroom, cleaned and torn into bite-sized pieces1 bell pepper, sliced 1 zucchini, sliced; 1 onion, sliced;2 garlic cloves, minced; 2 tablespoons soy sauce; 1 tablespoon oyster sauce (optional);1 teaspoon sesame oil;1 tablespoon vegetable oil;1 teaspoon grated ginger; 1 tablespoon sesame seeds; Cooked rice for serving.

Method:

Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic, and sauté for 2-3 minutes until the onion becomes soft. Add the bell pepper, zucchini, and grated ginger, and stir-fry for another 3-4 minutes. Add the Bakra mushroom to the pan and cook for 5 minutes until it becomes tender but still slightly crisp. Stir in the soy sauce, oyster sauce (if using), and sesame oil. Mix well and cook for another 2 minutes. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve immediately over cooked rice.

Creamy Bakra mushroom Pasta.

A modern twist on a classic pasta dish, this recipe highlights the mushroom’s rich texture.

Ingredients:

200g Bakra mushroom, cleaned and chopped; 200g pasta (fettuccine or tagliatelle works well): 1 shallot, finely chopped: 2 garlic cloves, minced: 200ml heavy cream: 50g grated cheese: 2 tablespoons olive oil: 1 teaspoon dried thyme: Salt and pepper to taste: Fresh or mint for garnish.

Method:

Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside. In a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and sauté until fragrant and soft. Add the chopped Bakra mushroom and thyme to the pan. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are tender. Pour in the heavy cream and bring to a gentle simmer. Allow the sauce to thicken slightly, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in the grated cheese, and season with salt and pepper. Toss the cooked pasta in the sauce until well coated. Serve hot, garnished with fresh.

Bakra mushroom and Potato Gratin

A hearty and comforting dish, this gratin combines the earthy flavour of Bakra mushroom with creamy potatoes.

Ingredients:

200g, Bakra mushroom cleaned and chopped; 4 medium potatoes, thinly sliced; 1 onion, thinly sliced; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 200ml heavy cream; 100g grated cheese; 2 tablespoons butter; 1 teaspoon dried thyme; Salt and pepper to taste; Fresh thyme or rosemary for garnish

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease a baking dish with butter. In a large pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and sauté until soft. Add the chopped Bakra mushroom and thyme to the pan. Cook for 5-7 minutes until the mushrooms are tender. Arrange half of the sliced potatoes in the prepared baking dish. Top with the mushroom mixture and then the remaining potato slices. Pour the heavy cream over the layers, making sure it is evenly distributed. Sprinkle the grated cheese over the top and season with salt and pepper. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until the top is golden and bubbly. Garnish with fresh thyme or rosemary before serving.

These recipes celebrate the versatility and unique taste of Bakra mushroom, whether you’re looking for something traditional or modern.

Nutritional Composition:

100 g of mushroom dry weight contains: Potassium, 1,299.44 mg; Phosphorus, 104.73 mg; Sodium, 98.21 mg; Magnesium, 54.86 mg; Calcium, 8.39 mg; Iron, 7.61 mg; Zinc, 6.37 mg; Copper, 1.31 mg and Manganese, 0.63 mg.  Glutamic acid (1,960 mg/l00 g). Other amino acid were  glutamine, aspartic acid,  asparagine, tryptophan, leucine and alanine. Among 8 vitamins detected, the vitamin E content was the highest, 408.5, then vitamin B1, 0.1; B2, 3.22; B6, 0.85; vitamin C, 21.58;  niacin, 15.94; vitamin D3 0.1662mg  and pantothenic acid, 6.39; based on 100 g of mushroom dry weight ^4,5.

Seek professional advice before treating this mushroom medicinally. 

Medicinal Uses:

The species is well known for its medicinal significance arising from a variety of pharmacologically active substances and incorporated into health supplements. It is traditionally used in Chinese medicine. Medicinal properties are primarily due to a high β-glucan (sparan) content which can constitute more than 40% of the dry weight of the mushroom ^3,6. It is reported as exhibiting antitumor, anti-angiogenic, immunity enhancing, wound-healing, hematopoietic, antihypertensive, and antioxidant activities ^7,8,9,10. Besides this, it also contains sparassol (methyl-2-hydroxy-4-methoxy-6-methylbenzoate), which has antibacterial and antifungal properties. Sparassis crispa has a distinctive aromatic scent that can be attributed to 3-octanone, DL-3-octanol, and 1-octen-3-ol ⁴. It also has the potential to be used in the food industry as it contains hydrocolloid¹¹ .

References: 

1. Rana R. (2007) Systematic studies on wild edible mushroom Sparassis crispa Wulf. Ex. Fr. collected from Shimla hills of Himachal Pradesh, India. Int J Innov Res Sci Eng Technol 6(1):680–683
2. Park HG, Shim YY, Choi SO, Park WM (2009) New method development for nanoparticle extraction of water-soluble β-1,3-D-glucan from edible mushrooms, Sparassis crispa and Phellinus linteus. J Agric Food Chem 57(6):2147–2154. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf802940x
3. Ohno N, Nameda S, Harada T, Miura NN, Adachi Y, Nakajima M, Yoshida K, Yoshida H Yadomae T (2003) Immunomodulating activity of β-glucan preparation, SCG, extracted from a culinary and medicinal mushroom, Sparassis crispa Wulf.:Fr. (Aphyllophoromycetideae), and application to cancer patients. Int J Med Mushroom 5(4):359–368. https://doi.org/10.1615/InterJMedicMush.v5.i4.30
4. Shin HJ, Oh DS, Lee HD, Kang HB, Lee CW, Cha WS (2007) Analysis of mineral, amino acid and vitamin contents of fruiting body of Sparassis crispa. Journal Life Sci 17:1290–1293. 

5. Kawai, K., Watanabe, H., & Matsushita, H. (2017). “Nutritional and health benefits of Sparassis crispa.” Journal of Functional Foods, 32, 25-32.
6. Ohno N, Miura N, Nakajima M, Yadomae T (2000) Antitumor 1,3-β-glucan from cultured fruit body of Sparassis crispa. Biol Pharm Bull 23:866–872. https://doi.org/10.1248/bpb.23.866
7. Harada T, Miura N, Adachi Y, Nakajima M, Yadomae T, Ohno N (2002a) Effect of SCG, 1,3-beta-D-glucan from Sparassis crispa on the hematopoietic response in cyclophosphamide induced leukopenic mice. Biol Pharm Bull 25(7):931–939. https://doi.org/10.1248/bpb.25.931

8. Tada R, Harada T, Nagi-Miura N, Adachi Y, Nakajima M, Yadomae T, Ohno N (2007) NMR characterization of the structure of a β-(1–3)-D-glucan isolate from cultured fruit bodies of Sparassis crispa. Carbohyd Res 342(17):2611–2618. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carres.2007.08.016
9. Yamamoto K, Kimura T (2013) Orally and topically administered Sparassis crispa(Hanabiratake) improved healing of skin wounds in mice with streptozotocin-induced diabetes. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 77(6):1303–1305. https://doi.org/10.1271/bbb.121016
10. Yamamoto K, Kimura T, Sugitachi A, Matsuura N (2009) Anti-angiogenic and anti-metastatic effects of β-1,3-D-glucan purified from Hanabiratake, Sparassis Crispa. Biol Pharm Bull 32(2):259–263. https://doi.org/10.1248/bpb.32.259
11. Vaka M, Walvekar R, Khalid M, Jagadish P, Mujawar-Mubarak N, Faik A (2020) Rheological behaviour of eutectic nanofluids containing a low fraction of GO/TiO2 hybrid nanoparticles. Therm Sci Eng Prog 20:100753