Matsutake

Tricholoma matsutake

mushroom

A stocky brown-capped mushroom with a very distinctive spicy scent, living bound to the roots of pines; grilled or cooked with rice, the great mushroom of the Japanese autumn. It provides beta-glucans and ergothioneine.

Origin

Pine forests of Japan

Season (United States)

September to November · grows in your region

Preparation

It is not washed: it is wiped clean and the earthy end of the stem is cut off. If you pick it yourself, have the mushroom checked by a pharmacist or a mycological society before eating it.

Molecules

Mushroom beta-glucans · Ergothioneine

Did you know?

Japan eats around 3,000 tonnes a year, half of it imported, and a kilo can top 100,000 yen; its name means “pine mushroom”.