Thoud

Thoud were a kind of edible mushroom found around Blustich.

Description
Thoud were unpleasant-looking mushrooms that looked like gray-white corncobs growing up from the ground like spikes. The corn kernel bumps were in fact spore sacs, which eventually dried out, broke open, and released a thin stream of fine dark gray spores that resembled a thread of smoke trailing from the mushroom. Their stems were very short and thick and mostly hidden by the cap, and had the appearance and toughness of a gnarled pumpkin stem.

Availability
Thoud were rarely found around Blustich on the coast of Cormyr and even harder to find elsewhere, and harvested to supplement the food supply of the village along with uttercaps and khondyn mushrooms, particularly before winter.

Usages
Raw thoud were edible and similar to eating a raw potato, but when baked it became lighter and fluffy. Raw or cooked, the taste resembled buttered popped corn with a variable taste of dill, garlic, or chives depending on where the mushroom had grown. In sandy soil the thoud had a stronger dill taste, rich soil tasted of garlic, and thoud from intermediate soil tasted like chives.