The most expensive mushrooms that can be grown at home

Culinary art has no boundaries - every year new interesting variations of dishes appear that differ favorably from each other. However, there is one category of ingredients that costs a lot of money, and the main star on the plate is the mushroom.

There are several types of mushrooms, the price of which reaches 2 thousand dollars per kilogram. This amount is very impressive, but it is extremely difficult to get such mushrooms, because they grow in an insignificant area and only once a year. Let's take a closer look at them.

Matsutaki mushroom

This type of mushroom grows in Korea, China, Japan and North America. He is very fastidious, and he needs a number of specific conditions to grow. So, in order for the matsutaki mushroom to grow, the air temperature must not exceed +26 degrees during the day, and at night it should not fall below + 15 ° C. Moreover, this ingredient of many dishes grows only in coniferous forests, and the chance of meeting it near age-old trees is much higher than near young ones.

Sometimes, when the weather is favorable, in Korea this mushroom begins to grow in August, but it does not have the same aroma as ordinary matsutaki grown in September-October.

Where to find and how much does it cost?

These mushrooms are somewhat similar to large mushrooms, the width of their caps varies from 6 to 20 cm.The leg is of medium size - its thickness is 1.5-2 cm.

Recently, the population of these mushrooms in Japan has declined sharply. And all this is because the pine nematode is spreading in the country. Moreover, matsutaki is difficult to find because of the leaves under which they usually hide.

But more recently, the same mushrooms were found in Sweden and Finland, and they began to be actively exported to other countries. It should be noted that matsutaki are famous as the most expensive mushrooms in the world. Their cost can vary significantly, depending on the country where they were grown. The price ranges from $ 100 to $ 1,500 per kilogram. And the most expensive are those that grew up in Korea.

Yarsagumba - a mushroom that looks like a caterpillar

This amazing mushroom grows in Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal and India (its northern part). Translated into Russian, this name reads: "in the summer - the grass, in the winter - the caterpillar." Indeed, this mushroom is somewhat similar to a caterpillar, and not at all like a mushroom that most people are used to seeing.

Even in ancient Chinese treatises, yarsagumba was held in high esteem by people. It was believed that the one who managed to find him, was waiting for dramatic changes in life for the better.

When the mushroom season begins in Nepal, and you can look for Yarsagumba, then almost all the population of the villages go in search of him. This mushroom is not only looked for by children and the elderly. At this time, you can see entire deserted villages in this country.

Popularity and price

Despite the fact that the first mentions of the named mushroom and its medicinal properties date back to the 16th century, in America and Europe practically no one knew anything about it until 1993, when the World Championships in Athletics was held in China.

In that year, three different athletes set three world records at once in running at different distances.It is worth considering the factor that these records have not been broken to this day. The special commission, of course, carried out doping tests, and no prohibited drugs were found in the blood of the athletes.

The world community could not calm down in any way, so they tried to find out from the coach what was included in the girls' menu. Then the coach admitted that his wards used turtle blood soup with a decoction of yarsagumba. Since then, this mushroom has been included in the list of the most expensive mushrooms in the world.

By the way, the government of Nepal plans to introduce a tax for everyone who collects it - it will be $ 70 per person. Local residents sell yarsagumba for $ 700 per kilogram, and already in Europe and America they sell it at a price of about $ 3,000 per kilogram. As you can see, Yarsagumba is the most expensive mushroom in the world.

Truffles and their varieties

The next type of mushroom is a delicacy, it grows underground, and it is quite difficult to find it. Due to their aroma, truffles are incredibly popular among wealthy gourmets. And this is not surprising, because they are practically the most expensive mushrooms in the world.

There are a fairly large number of varieties of this mushroom. However, the most expensive and aromatic are white and black truffles.

Black truffles grow in France, not far from oaks and birches, they live right in the ground, so their collection becomes much more difficult, which undoubtedly leads to an increase in the price of the product. This type of mushroom has a very persistent and strong aroma, and it tastes like a nut. However, this variety is not the rarest and most expensive, and some countries even try to grow it on farms. True, in this case, it is significantly inferior to the mushroom grown in the wild.

White truffles are grown in Italy and are even rarer, making them the most expensive of all varieties. In appearance, this delicacy resembles Jerusalem artichoke. Inside, the mushroom has a perfectly white pulp with small red veins. The aroma and taste are even more pronounced than that of black ones, because of this, the cost of this type of truffle is even higher.

Product price

It is worth noting that white truffles are the most expensive mushrooms in practice. This is due to the conditions of their growth and the complexity of collection. And, of course, the flavored aroma also pushes the price up significantly. And yet it is impossible to unequivocally answer how much a kg of truffles costs. There are a lot of mushrooms of this type, and their price depends on the yield in a particular year.

So, if it is bad, then the cost can double, and sometimes triple. But, on average, the price of a black truffle is $ 1,500-2,000, while for a white one it can go up to $ 4,000.

Regarding the price of truffles, there is one interesting fact that demonstrates how much gourmets are willing to pay for them. In 2007, a unique mushroom was found, weighing 1.5 kg. It was put up for one well-known auction, where it was acquired by an unknown person from Hong Kong for 330 thousand dollars.

The most expensive mushrooms have a fairly short harvesting season. Black truffles are harvested from late winter to early spring. White truffle season is from late October to December. Therefore, it is very problematic to try such mushrooms in the summer, especially when it comes to the white variety of the famous delicacy.

Conclusion

The most expensive mushrooms are very popular due to their taste or medicinal properties. It is worth noting that the fact that they cannot be grown on farms gives them such a high price. In most cases, they grow in the wild, and this is why they are so valuable for gourmets.

Today in China there is a farm that grows black truffles, but they still do not have such an incredible aroma and taste, therefore they are not in great demand in the world. They are usually purchased only by regular restaurants that do not have Michelin stars.

With some effort, you can grow edible mushrooms on your site. Recently, an increased interest in mushrooms growing under supervision is associated with a poor ecological situation and frequent poisoning by mushrooms collected in the forest.

The most unpretentious of the mushrooms used for this purpose are considered: oyster mushroom, ringlet, winter mushroom, champignons and shiitake. For the cultivation of these mushrooms, a previously prepared special substrate is used, which consists mainly of mineral components and plant residues.

Oyster mushroom

This is the most economically profitable and unpretentious mushroom, they are grown in the country, at home, in an ordinary city apartment, for example, you can grow a small amount of mushrooms on a windowsill in a special greenhouse, and you can even create a small production. This mushroom contains a large amount of polysaccharides, oyster mushroom contains 2 times more of this substance than chanterelles and four times more than champignons. In the composition, the amount of essential amino acids is much higher than in vegetables, grains and nuts, almost the same as in milk and meat. The nutritional value of the mushroom is literally invaluable due to the components that bind the carcinogenic substances to a part, of which they provoke cancer. Numerous studies have proven that the inclusion of oyster mushrooms in the diet, which contains a lot of lovastin, is a good prevention of the development of multiple sclerosis, diabetes and tumor diseases.

Champignon

A delicacy mushroom, which many know from childhood, it is not very difficult to grow it in a summer cottage or a personal plot from late spring to early autumn, and using a greenhouse or closed premises - all year round.

Shiitake

Grown in damp and darkened rooms, you can use sheds and basements for this. Shiitake is distinguished by its wonderful taste and many medicinal qualities. This is one of the most expensive home-grown mushrooms in the world (for 1 kg they give up to $ 50). Fruiting of the mushroom continues until the wood used as a substrate is completely destroyed. Intensively, this mushroom is grown using mycelium introduced into a specially formulated substrate, which includes sawdust, and additions of gypsum and chalk.

Winter honey

This mushroom is similar in composition to shiitake mushrooms. Winter honey agaric can be grown on window sills for this it received the name - winter flower, because against the background of white snow outside the window, painted in beautiful colors from milky to light brown look very beautiful. This is one of the most cold-resistant mushrooms, it can be grown at a temperature not lower than 1 - 2 degrees. In nature, it grows on almost all continents, it can be found in late autumn, often even after frosts, or during a long winter thaw.

Rate the article:

(0 votes, average: 0 out of 5)

When asked what are the most expensive mushrooms in the world, many will answer without hesitation and doubt: "Of course, truffles!" And they will be partly right. Why only partially? The article, which describes the most expensive mushrooms, will help to deal with this.

Complete list

In order not to beat around the bush for a long time, we will announce at once what are the most expensive mushrooms in the world. Their list looks like this:

• yarkhagumba;
• white truffle;
• black truffle;
• matsutaki.

Next, we will tell you more about each mushroom at the cost of the car!

Amazing mushroom Yarchagumba

Yarchagumba are the most expensive mushrooms. The name in Russian sounds like "yarkhagumba" or "yarsagumba". Literally translated as "in the summer - the grass, and in the winter - an insect." Its cost is simply colossal - 120 thousand dollars per 1 kg. Only real rich people can afford such a luxury (1 small mushroom costs about $ 500).Recently, among the world's tycoons, it has become popular to eat 1 such mushroom a day, sprinkle it on main courses. Chinese healers claim that Yarkhagumba is the strongest aphrodisiac, the only cure for cancer and leprosy in the world, and it cures tuberculosis perfectly. Yarkhagumbu was used as a doping by Chinese athletes and were able to break the world record, while the mushroom has no side effect and is not found in the blood.

It grows in a very limited area. It can be found only on the Tibetan plateau and in the Himalayan mountains at an altitude of 3-5 thousand meters. More than half of its range is in Nepal, about 40% in China, India and Bhutan. Locals collect these most expensive mushrooms, sell them at a price of 25 thousand dollars per 1 kg.

It is a parasitic fungus. Before the rainy season, it infects Himalayan caterpillars with its spores, which are deep underground. Sensing spring, the caterpillar begins to make its way through the soil up to the sun, and this is where spores germinate. They draw out all the juices from the insect, and the caterpillar dies at the very surface of the earth. And the mushroom grows through it and comes out to the surface, where it is dug up by "treasure seekers".

White truffle

In appearance, these mushrooms resemble potato tubers, they have an irregular shape, with a diameter of 2 to 12 cm. They grow underground or protrude slightly above the surface. Young truffles have a whitish color, mature ones are yellowish-brown, and old ones are brown with reddish spots. They have a strong smell, pleasant only in young and mature mushrooms, and old ones smell very bad. They have a pronounced nutty taste.

White truffle grows throughout Europe up to Antarctica, also in North America. It can only be found under an oak tree and sometimes under conifers (Christmas tree, pine, hemlock). But it is very rare. Pigs are known to be the best detectives of all truffle varieties. They smell their smell from afar and try to get it out of the ground with a stigma. In some farms, pigs are specially trained to search for this mushroom.

It is interesting that the white truffle, which is recognized as a delicacy all over the world and costs a lot of money, is considered poisonous in France and Italy, and is generally prohibited in Spain. In any case, when making dishes from this mushroom, it must be heat-treated.

Black truffle

It grows underground in the form of irregular tubers (rounded black truffles are occasionally found), the diameter of the fruit body is from 3 to 9 cm. Young mushrooms are reddish-brown outside, and mature ones are black as coal (hence the name). All truffles of this type have firm flesh, while young mushrooms are colored in light colors with a marble pattern on the cut. And in old ones, the pulp is dark from a large number of spores, but the marble pattern is still visible.

The mushroom has a strong characteristic aroma and a very pleasant taste with a spicy bitterness. It is a recognized and highly regarded delicacy. Chefs call him "the black diamond on the table." Can be used raw or cooked.

These most expensive mushrooms in the world grow mainly in Western and Southern Europe, especially in France. They are found under deciduous trees, most often under an oak tree. Like white truffles, black ones are also very attractive to pigs, which are trained specifically for this purpose. Recently, dogs have been used to search for mushrooms.

How much can a truffle cost?

For these most expensive mushrooms they pay a lot of money. They are only sold by auction. The price may vary. For example, in 2004, a white truffle weighing 850 grams was sold at auction for 28 thousand pounds (about 40 thousand dollars). To the great grief of the buyer, they did not have time to cook the mushroom, since on the way home it was rotten. And in November 2007, three Hong Kong tycoons together bought a 750 grams "white diamond" for a record $ 209,000.These buyers were lucky: their trophy was prepared and happily eaten in the circle of loved ones. The average cost of white truffles is 7.5-8 thousand euros per 1 kg.

The black truffle is more common and cheaper than its white cousin. Its price is about 4-5 thousand euros per 1 kg.

Matsutaki mushroom

Another most expensive mushroom in the world is matsutaki. For some reason, it is customary to call them "Japanese", although they grow throughout Asia, occasionally found in Northern Europe and North America. Literally "matsutaki" is translated as "pine mushroom", which is quite justified, since it grows only under the pines.

In appearance, this mushroom is very similar to honey fungus, only it is larger and more fleshy. The stem is long, brown, the cap is lighter in color, the flesh is white with a pronounced sweet and spicy cinnamon aroma. The fungus sits tightly in the ground, so you have to try to get it.

Interestingly, matsutaki grows only in natural conditions, it is impossible to cultivate it. For this reason and due to its rarity, it costs fabulous money - 2 thousand dollars per 1 kg. Fresh mushrooms are especially appreciated, the taste and aroma of which are much richer.

Total ...

The article describes the most expensive mushrooms. A name with a photo of each species will give a visual representation of the delicacies. Unfortunately, few people can afford them.

Gathering mushrooms in the autumn forest under rustling multi-colored leaves is a fascinating business, but in natural conditions the fruits ripen only during a certain period of the year.

But the artificial cultivation of porcini mushrooms can produce crops several times a year, besides, this variety is one of the most delicious and fragrant among those that grow in our area. The porcini mushroom is also called boletus, it has a rather large size and a fleshy leg, we will consider all the intricacies of the technology of breeding these plants at home.

About white mushroom

The porcini mushroom belongs to the family of boletus, tubular. A characteristic feature is the large size of the fruit and the thick barrel-like leg. In height boletus can sometimes reach up to 25 cm, and their caps are 30-40 cm in diameter. The color of the caps almost always has a brown tint of varying intensity, the leg is white. The pulp of the mushroom is juicy, has a pinkish, creamy, gray or white-yellow hue.

There are several varieties of boletus:

• white steppe mushroom,
• white oak mushroom,
• pine (spruce),
• spikelet,
• borovoy.

In our regions, the most common pine and birch white mushroom, less often oak. It is they who are propagated in an artificial environment. Mushrooms in nature are located near the trees corresponding to their name and form symbiosis with the roots (mutually beneficial exchange).

Boletus loves dry drainage soils, short-term thunderstorms, moderate humidity and temperature, and sunlight. It is one of the few mushrooms that tolerates the sun well.

Recently boletus has become a real delicacy due to the gradual reduction in reproduction in natural conditions and the difficulties of breeding in artificial ones. It is one of the most expensive mushrooms in our market. That is why many people try to grow myceliums in their plots or in basements in order to have an expensive delicacy on the table more often.

Porcini mushrooms at home

Growing porcini mushrooms at home

There are two techniques for growing boletus at home:

• Extensive - mushrooms are bred in their natural environment in areas, in forests, artificially propagating myceliums and caring for them.
• Intensive - the conditions are completely created artificially, special equipment, greenhouses, and separate premises are used.

The intensive technology is suitable for the commercial cultivation of large quantities of mushrooms. The extensive method is used by amateur mushroom growers, propagating them for themselves. This is the method we will consider first.

Growing porcini mushrooms on the site

Site preparation

As mentioned above, the mushroom loves being close to trees. You can grow boletus on your land if you have coniferous or deciduous trees growing there. Planting is best done in spring.

Choose an area for myceliums that is well lit by the sun, not far from the trees. Remove all weeds in this area and begin to moisten the soil a month before planting. If you intend to use wild seedlings, then you can dig up the soil in the places of the found myceliums and transfer it to your site.

It is also necessary to prepare a mixture of dry leaves and tree bark in advance, which will need to be added to the soil before planting.

Seating material

You can harvest the seed yourself in the wild. Follow these rules:

• Look for mushrooms in the forest that grow under the same trees that are in your area. Choose the largest, ripe fruit.
• When you come home, detach the boletus caps from the legs.
• Pour in a small bucket or bowl of clean water without chlorine, dissolve a little potassium permanganate and 10-15 lumps of sugar in it.
• Mash the mushroom caps into a gruel and immerse them in water.
• Leave the mass in water for a day.
• After that, strain the water through cheesecloth. What remains in the gauze will be your seed.

If you want to propagate only a small number of myceliums, then an easier way would be to cut out the soil with mushrooms in the forest and dig it in whole (piece) into the ground in your area.

You can also buy ready-made powdered boletus mycelium at the store and sow it into the soil.

Landing

So, when you have the seedlings ready, it's time to move on to the planting itself.

• In the selected area, dig a hole 30 cm deep and about 3 square meters. m.
• Mix the dug soil with humus.
• At the very bottom, sketch a mixture of bark and dry leaves.
• Mix the seed with a little sand and spread it over the entire area of ​​the pit. Cover the seedlings with compost. Cover everything with earth from above.

Boletus does not like high humidity, it is necessary to water the soil as it dries and preferably through the irrigation system.

For the winter, it is recommended to cover mycelium with hay, moss or dry leaves.

If you planted porcini mushrooms in the spring, then the first harvest can be obtained in the fall. Planted plots in autumn will yield a crop only after a year. The mycelium bears fruit for 5-7 years. Cultivation of porcini mushrooms in a personal plot is not a difficult process. The only problem is that not all myceliums take root and begin to bear fruit under artificial conditions.

Growing porcini mushrooms in a greenhouse, basement

Now let's look at the intensive breeding technology of porcini mushrooms. They are bred in this way in basements, greenhouses, sheds, hangars and any other premises in which it is possible to organize special conditions.

Room preparation

Inside a greenhouse or any other room, it is necessary to create a microclimate with a constant temperature of + 8-12 degrees and a humidity of about 80-90%. The porcini mushroom needs oxygen, it is important that the area is well ventilated.

The incubation period of the fungus can pass without light, but when the fruits appear, they need light for at least 5 hours a day. Both natural and artificial lighting (fluorescent lamps) can be used. The power of the lamps should not be high.

Seedling

For seedlings in a completely artificial environment, it is best to use Dutch porcini mushroom growing technologies. In Holland, scientists have succeeded in breeding a boletus variety that is most resistant to breeding in captivity. Mushroom seedlings (mycelium) are sold in specialty stores.

The use of wild mushroom seed may not germinate. But if you are ready to take risks, then you can prepare spores for reproduction in the same way as in the above method, by collecting fruits and soaking the caps or digging up areas of soil with myceliums.

Landing

Boletus is intensively propagated in greenhouse beds, in bags, in boxes.

The easiest way is to grow porcini mushrooms in a greenhouse.The process is exactly the same as for planting in a natural environment: holes are dug in the soil, covered with a mixture of bark and leaves, seedlings are laid, the grooves are covered with compost and soil. It is only important that the specified conditions are maintained inside the greenhouse.

In basements, sheds and other premises, either boxes filled with a nutrient substrate or bags are used. For boletus, it is better to use boxes. The composition of the substrate for the porcini mushroom is quite standard: a mixture of hay, husk of seeds or buckwheat, corn cobs, some sawdust. The nutrient mixture, as in the case of planting any other mushrooms, must be sterilized. The seed is placed in the substrate in layers.

Bags or boxes with material are placed on the shelves, at a distance of 5-6 cm from each other. If bags are used, incisions are made in them. Next comes the intensive care.

During the incubation period, the room temperature should be raised to + 23-25 ​​degrees, no light is needed at this time. You should also not ventilate the area, but keep an eye on the humidity so that it does not exceed 90%.

When the mushroom caps appear, the temperature is lowered to +10 degrees, the room begins to be well ventilated. Twice a day, the mycelium should be watered with warm water through a small-drop irrigation system. You can spray water through a spray bottle. Every day they turn on the light for 5-6 hours. After 20-25 days, you can harvest.

Growing porcini mushrooms in a basement, greenhouse or other artificial environment

All this time, from planting to harvesting, it is necessary to maintain sterile cleanliness in rooms with myceliums.

Growing porcini mushrooms in a basement, greenhouse or other artificial environment is a risky business. Mushrooms create symbiosis with tree roots and in the absence of such conditions may simply not take root. In general, boletus is one of the most difficult mushrooms to reproduce outside of natural conditions. In capriciousness, only the truffle itself can be compared with it. But if you still manage to "make friends" with this plant, you will be provided with fleshy, juicy, tasty and healthy fruits for several years.

If you are new to this business and this is your first experience, it is better to buy ready-made mycelium of porcini mushrooms, the cultivation of which will be easier. It is made from myceliums that have already grown in an artificial environment and have a certain resistance to it. You can also buy a ready-made disinfected substrate there. Usually sellers provide care and storage instructions for the material.

Outcome

When deciding to create an artificial cultivation of porcini mushrooms, you should be prepared for failure - boletus does not always bear fruit in such an environment. There are much more chances to propagate a plant in a summer cottage or personal plot, especially if the territory is adjacent to the forest. Nevertheless, many take risks and plant a mushroom at home. If you are lucky, then the efforts will be fully justified.