– **Etymology**:
– Common name and specific epithet derive from Japanese words for pine tree and mushroom.
– **Similar species**:
– In Japan, closely related species include Tricholoma bakamatsutake (stupid matsutake), Tricholoma fulvocastaneum (fake matsutake), and Tricholoma robustum (imitation of matsutake).
– In North American Pacific Northwest, Tricholoma murrillianum is found in coniferous forests.
– Tricholoma magnivelare is generally found in Jack pine forests.
– **Distribution and habitat**:
– Matsutake mushrooms grow in East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, parts of Europe, and along the Pacific coasts of Canada and the United States.
– Matsutake grow under trees and form a symbiotic relationship with roots of various tree species.
– In China, matsutake is mainly distributed in the northeast and southwest regions.
– **Ecology**:
– The candy cane plant parasitizes matsutake mushrooms by deriving nourishment from the fungal mycelia.
– Insects target matsutake mushrooms as food and a place to lay their eggs.
– Matsutake are hard to find due to specific growth requirements, competition from wild animals, and decline in domestic production in Japan.
– **Uses**:
– Annual harvest of matsutake in Japan is less than 1,000 tons, with the supply largely made up by imports.
– Prices in the Japanese market are highly dependent on quality, availability, and origin.
– International trade for matsutake created a fluctuating market, especially in regions like Yunnan province of Southwest China.
| Matsutake | |
|---|---|
| |
| Matsutake | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Basidiomycota |
| Class: | Agaricomycetes |
| Order: | Agaricales |
| Family: | Tricholomataceae |
| Genus: | Tricholoma |
| Species: | T. matsutake
|
| Binomial name | |
| Tricholoma matsutake | |
| Synonyms | |
Tricholoma matsutake | |
|---|---|
 | Gills on hymenium |
 | Cap is convex |
 | Hymenium is adnexed |
 | Stipe has a ring |
 | Spore print is white |
 | Ecology is mycorrhizal |
 | Edibility is choice |
| Matsutake | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese name | |||||
| Kanji | 松茸 | ||||
| Hiragana | まつたけ | ||||
| Katakana | マツタケ | ||||
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Matsutake (Japanese: 松茸/マツタケ), Tricholoma matsutake, is a species of choice edible mycorrhizal mushroom that grows in Eurasia and North America. It is prized in Japanese cuisine for its distinct spicy-aromatic odor.