Due to the rich ecological landscape and biodiversity of Lao PDR, a great number of wild mushrooms are available for consumption and sales. Many mushrooms are known for their good taste and nutritious values and others for their medicinal properties.
Currently, there are practically no scientific records of the edible and medicinal mushrooms of Lao PDR. However there are estimates of at least 100 species eaten by villagers and a much larger number are known in neighbouring countries. China has recorded a total of 6,000 macro-fungal species of which more than 1,000 species are listed as edible or used for medicine.