Matsutake mushroom

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Name Variations

 * pine mushroom

About Matsutake mushroom
Wikipedia Article About Matsutake mushroom on Wikipedia

This dark brown Japanese wild mushroom has a dense, meaty texture and nutty, fragrant flavor. These mushrooms can be cooked by a variety of methods including braising, grilling, steaming and frying.

Matsutake (松茸) is the common name for a group of mushrooms in Japan, and it is the king of autumn flavors. It has been an important element of Japanese cuisine for at least 1,000 years. The tradition of mushroom giving persists today in Japan's corporate world, and a gift of matsutake is considered special and is cherished by those who receive it.

Matsutake grow under trees and are usually concealed under the fallen leaves. It forms a symbiotic relationship with the roots of a limited number of tree species, but is most commonly associated with Japanese Red Pine throughout most of its range. The unique flavor of matsutake is owed to the rare conditions under which it grows, under the base of pine trees between 20 to 60 years old and it never grows in the same place twice.