Matsutake

Matsutake (scientific name: Tricholoma matsutake), also known as matsutake, is an edible mushroom belonging to the genus Tricholoma in the family Tricholoma family, with a unique strong flavor. It grows in temperate and cold-temperature mixed forests at an altitude of 1600-2600 meters.

Morphological features

Matsutake mushroom, the substrate scattered or group. The cap is 5~20cm in diameter, flat hemispherical to nearly spreading, dirty white, with yellowish brown to chestnut brown flat ciliate scales, the surface is dry, the flesh is white, thick. Folds white or slightly creamy yellow, dense, curved, unequal. Mycelium stout, 6~14CM long, 2~2.6CM thick; mycelium ring below with chestnut brown ciliate scales, inner solid, base slightly expanded. Mycorrhizal ring is born in the merchant port of the stipe, filamentous membranous, white above, the same color as the stipe below. Spores white; spores colorless, smooth, section ellipsoid to subglobose, 6.5~7.5mmx4.5~6.2mm.

Growth habits

It is born on the ground of pine forest or mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forest in the fall, growing in groups or scattered, sometimes forming mushroom circles. Matsutake mushrooms are naturally born in the natural mixed forests of pine and oak trees at an altitude of 2,000 to 4,000 meters and above without any pollution, which has a symbiotic relationship with the roots of pine trees and requires the shade conditions of broad-leaved forests such as oak trees. The place where the matsutake mushroom grows needs to have 3 basic conditions, i.e. Beauty Pine, Dali Fragrant Flower, sandy loam soil, due to the growth and development of the matsutake mushroom on the strict requirements of the environmental conditions, it is difficult to artificially cultivate, completely relying on the wild collection.

Matsutake mushrooms are rare not only because of their slow growth rate, but also because they are difficult to collect. Once the matsutake mushroom protrudes from the ground and opens its umbrella, it loses a lot of its aroma and taste, and its economic value drops drastically. Therefore, the collection of matsutake mushrooms must be dug up by the roots when they first appear, which is a task that requires a high degree of observation and experience. Although there have been attempts to commercialize the cultivation of large quantities of matsutake mushrooms, there are still not enough to produce large quantities of mushrooms, so almost all the matsutake mushrooms available on the market are collected by human beings in the mountains.