On two visits to Tibet, in 1986 and 1988, I visited first the eastern area around Kanding, and then later traveled through Gansu to Golmud and through northern Tibet to Lhasa, staying in Naxqu, Amdo, Xigatze, Tingri, and other more rural areas over a period of 3 months.

There were many types of mushrooms to be found around Lhasa, but the local people only ate one species, which appeared to be a variety of Tricholoma equestre, yellow on the cap, stem, and gills.

 

These mushrooms were found growing on the grounds by the Dalai Lama's Potala palace.

 

Potala palace, Lhasa, Tibet

 

Chinese immigrants to Tibet were also familiar with puffballs, and they usually ended up in noodle soup, not in my opinion the best preparation for them.

Kanding is on the western edge of Sichuan province in Tibet. The area was once obviously heavily forested, but not during the lifetime of anyone now alive.

The locals took to me pretty well. They annoyed me, however, by pulling on my arm hairs, which they were unfamiliar with. I took to wearing long sleeves.Here I encountered the Yartsu Gumbu, the caterpillar fungus, for the first time. At first I thought they were peppers, then I noticed the paired legs. I bought a handful and the guy was delighted to take 5 quai for them. ($1.10 US)

 

On the way into Tibet from the north, I encountered in Naxqu a Tibetan horse trading festival and community dance and fair and all. It went on a week. I ate a lot of noodles there.

Hiking across the high plains to the highest continuous settlement on the planet, Rombuk Gompa is a monastery in occasional view of Chongolongma, known to the west as Mt. Everest. The yak grass is so sparse that it is invisible; you only see the gravelly earth, but if you bend down until your head is knee-high, you see it as a green mist or haze as you look across the landscape. somehow yaks can use their arm-length tongues to wipe up enough of this stuff to thrive. I did find the remains of puffballs in this alpine area, and some little yellow fellows in the rare moss bed.

Taer-shi temple on Tibet/Chinese border.