Autumn

Just about everyone has seen matsutake mushrooms in the supermarket during the fall. These are not the grown-on-top-of-a-bottle, en-masse, 100-yen variety of mushrooms; these are mushrooms that leave the uninitiated wondering: what kind of mushroom could possibly be worth 2,000 yen or more? Let’s explore why. What are Matsutake Mushrooms? Next time you see a matsutake mushroom, pick one up and smell it. They are very fragrant, with a spicy or cinnamon flavor and a piney undertone. They are often equated to truffles in their capability to add a distinct (and delicious) flavor to dishes. Plus, like truffles, matsutake mushrooms are not produced on farms. They grow out in the wild in red pine forests. Although easy to pick, they are hard to find due to their declining habitat, which has been under attack for over a century by the invasive pinewood nematode, introduced from North America. The price of matsutake mushrooms varies tremendously. As domestic demand routinely outstrips supply, you can often find much cheaper imported varieties that may come from nearby China or even as far away as the Pacific Northwest in the U.S. While still not cheap, the price still pales in comparison to high-grade, locally harvested…