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～Matsutake～

Matsutake is considered the king of all mushrooms found in Japanese cuisine thanks to its rich aroma and flavor. Since it only grows naturally in red pine forests in the autumn, it is considered a delicacy of the season.

It can be grilled, steamed and fried and is often seen in steamed rice, as tempura or in soups. Matsutake is very difficult to harvest making the prices exceptionally high in comparison to other mushrooms.

However, since the Japanese market has opened its doors to other countries and begun importing Matsutake from China, North Korea, South Korea and most recently Sweden and Finland, the prices have been greatly reduced and the mushroom can now even be found in fast food menus.

Nonetheless, pricing still varies greatly depending on where it was made since it is strongly believed that not only the flavor but the quality of aroma is strongly related to the mushroom's origin.