It’s Fall in Tokyo, which means that matsutake mushrooms are showing up in restaurants and gourmet supermarkets all over Japan.
Matsutake are the truffles of Japan: fragrant, earthy and in incredible demand. They have never been successfully cultivated; they can only be harvested in the wild, where they grow near a certain type of oak tree.
While foreign matsutake, typically from China, are relatively affordable ($10 for 2 or 3 small mushrooms), Japanese specimens command a significantly higher price. A single, large mushroom, like in this picture, can cost $150 or more.
Oftentimes, the Japanese put this kind of price premium on domestic produce, even when there isn’t a noticeable difference between it and imported produce. Matsutake, however, seem to be an exception to that rule. The Chinese matsutake that we’ve bought have only a vague hint of the true matsutake aroma. Surprisingly, matsutake from the Pacific Northwest in United States are quite a bit better, but are difficult to find in Japan. But I’ve never had an imported matsutake that can hold a candle to a Japanese one.
When we were at shoumin last week, one of the customers brought in a small package, wrapped in moist paper towels. It was matsutake that he’d harvested the previous weekend! When I asked the chef about it later, he promised some tasty matsutake dishes the next time we came in. I can’t wait!
Posted by pmk at November 20, 2005 7:26 PM