– **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 | |
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Matsutake | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Fungi |
Division: | Basidiomycota |
Class: | Agaricomycetes |
Order: | Agaricales |
Family: | Tricholomataceae |
Genus: | Tricholoma |
Species: | T. matsutake
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Binomial name | |
Tricholoma matsutake | |
Synonyms | |
Tricholoma matsutake | |
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Gills on hymenium | |
Cap is convex | |
Hymenium is adnexed | |
Stipe has a ring | |
Spore print is white | |
Ecology is mycorrhizal | |
Edibility is choice |
Matsutake | |||||
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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.