Fungi and Indigenous Knowledge: Reports from Southeast Asia
November 20, 2025 Christian Lloyd R. Evangelista, Angeles M. de Leon, Thomas Edison E. Dela Cruz
Ethnomycology examines the relationships between people, especially indigenous cultures, and fungi, covering uses for food, medicine, crafts, and cultural rituals. The field focuses on traditional knowledge passed down through generations, including methods for identifying and using fungi. Southeast Asia, home to over 123 million indigenous people, is highlighted as a rich source of such knowledge, with abundant macrofungi employed in culinary, medicinal, and ritual contexts, including ancient records of psychedelic mushroom use.