Matsutake (tricholoma matsutake)

The value of matsutake mushrooms

The value of pine mushrooms varies depending on their appearance and age. Their characteristics are influenced by the terrain where they grow. So, in Primorye, ryadovki grow large, dense, with an exquisite smell, and therefore are most valued. Also, the high cost is inherent in Japanese and Canadian mushrooms. But matsutake, collected in China and Korea, are much cheaper, because they are inferior in taste and have a less intense aroma.

The price for young mushrooms is set higher than for mature ones. This is due to the fact that young unblown rowers have a richer taste. Gourmets divide all matsutake into categories corresponding to their qualities and properties. The most elite are considered to be immature seaside mushrooms grown in Russia.

The use of mushrooms in cooking

Matsutake have a delicate taste, surprisingly harmoniously combining the aroma of pines and pears. Due to these qualities, they are widely used in cooking, preparing various delicacies. A transparent soup is prepared from them, hats are fried on charcoal, grilled, stewed, baked, dried and marinated, and some gourmets even eat raw, cut into thin slices. Basically, they are served not as separate dishes, but as an addition to side dishes.

Before preparing mushrooms, it is important to prepare them properly. And for this you need:

• leave the top skin of the cap, otherwise all the exquisite aroma will disappear;
• just rinse the mushrooms under running water or wipe with a damp cloth;
• it is advisable not to injure the leg: it is better to cut off no more than a few millimeters of its lower part.

Contraindications to the use of mushrooms

A contraindication to their use is the individual intolerance of the individual components that make up the composition. Also, you should not use a shod ryadovka that has been stored in the refrigerator for a long time. After that, she not only loses all useful properties, but can also cause poisoning in people with gastrointestinal problems.

Matsutake - the most expensive Japanese mushrooms

"Japanese truffle" matsutake - the legend of Sakhalin

The most expensive mushroom Matsutake MATSUTAKI

Contraindications to use and harm

Regardless of the wide range of positive properties of the product, there are certain contraindications for its use, namely:

1. The product must be consumed exclusively fresh, if stored for a long time, harmful toxins begin to be produced in it, which in turn can provoke serious poisoning.
2. The product can cause severe allergic reactions, therefore, before using such an exotic product, it is expensive and, you need to do a small test control for the body's sensitivity to the product.
3. If the body has abnormalities with the gastrointestinal tract, or serious diseases of the gastrointestinal system, the product is not recommended to be included in the diet. It is also worth giving up the Japanese truffle for people with pancreatitis and gallbladder dysfunction.
4. If for some reason poisoning with matsutake forest mushrooms occurs, the following symptoms are observed: active salivation (the abundant flow of saliva does not stop, even during the meal period); nausea or severe vomiting (symptoms are not relieved by conventional nausea medications); diarrhea (the symptom is not removed with the usual drugs). If at least one symptom manifests itself, it is recommended to immediately consult a doctor.

Description

Matsutake (pine mushroom or shod ryadovka) is highly prized by Japanese mushroom pickers. It is sometimes compared to boletus or porcini mushroom, but matsutake is more delicious and rare, which means it is more expensive. Depending on the size, the cost of one pine mushroom can even reach hundreds of dollars.These mushrooms are not artificially cultivated and are therefore only available in autumn.

Matsutake is dark brown in color and has thick, fleshy legs. It grows in the wild under red pine trees. It can be found in mixed forests where oaks and pines grow. In North America, matsutake can also be found under fir trees. As for Russia, such mushrooms can be found in the forests of the Amur and Irkutsk regions, the Urals, as well as the Primorsky and Khabarovsk Territories. You need to collect them in time before the edges of the caps fully open.

Useful and medicinal properties

The complex compounds that make up matsutake mushrooms have antiviral and anticancer effects, confirmed by laboratory studies. In addition, they lower blood pressure, normalize blood sugar levels and have no side effects.

In traditional Chinese medicine, these mushrooms are considered a good remedy for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, a sedative and analgesic drug.

Matsutake extract is also used in cosmetology as a skin lightening agent and improving its condition.

The value of matsutake is as follows:

• Strengthening the immune system due to its chemical composition.
• Helps to get rid of carcinogens and radionuclides, destroying the body.
• Prevention of diabetes. Normalizes blood sugar levels in diabetics.
• Anticancer agent. In case of leukemia, Chinese healers advise to consume it in its raw form within 2 days after picking the mushroom. For the greatest effect in treatment, it must be consumed raw.
• With a diet. The low fat content helps control body weight.

In addition, Japanese truffle is an excellent cosmetic product. Extracting this fungus removes pigmentation, brightens the skin and improves the appearance of the skin.

Abuse of shod rowing shoes can threaten:

• Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. With pancreatitis and gallbladder dysfunction, it is not recommended to use matsutake at all, and in other cases, there may be cramps and heaviness in the stomach, flatulence.
• Poisoning. This mushroom cannot be stored for a long time, and it also absorbs harmful substances, which makes it even dangerous to health.
• Intolerance. For people with an allergic reaction to mushrooms, in no case should you take risks and use this product.

In case of poisoning, the following symptoms are observed:

• Profuse salivation. Often appears during hunger, but in case of intoxication, food will not help stop it.
• Diarrhea. An upset stomach is always present when the body does not accept a product. This case is no exception.
• Nausea. Severe poisoning ends with vomiting, which, in some cases, cannot be stopped even by pharmaceutical drugs.

At the first sign of poisoning, it is imperative to consult a doctor.

Yarsagumba

The first mushroom on our list is Yarsagumba, which is considered the most expensive in the world. If you translate its name literally, it turns out "in summer it is a grass and an insect in winter." To buy 1 kilogram of these mushrooms, you have to spend 6-9 million rubles on them. These mushrooms can only be tasted by the real rich, for one small mushroom you will pay about 30 thousand rubles. Today, among people with high incomes there is even such a tradition to eat one such mushroom a day.

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There was a time when athletes from China used this mushroom as a doping in competitions, and the testing services could not identify such stimulants. This allowed athletes to set many world records.

This mushroom can only be found in Tibet or in the Himalayan mountains, in order to collect a couple of Yarsagumba mushrooms, you will have to climb 3000-5000 meters above sea level. By the way, the fungus is considered a parasite, introducing its spores into the caterpillars of the Himalayas, which live in the bowels of the earth. When the sun begins to heat the soil, the caterpillar rises to the surface, helping the fungal spores to germinate.

Spread of Matsutake mushrooms

The Japanese mushroom grows not only in Japan, but also in other parts of the world. Due to the massive collection of shod shoes, its number in the Japanese islands has significantly decreased, so local businessmen import this product from Europe, North America, Russia and other Asian countries. matsutake is collected in Sweden, Finland, Ukraine, Belarus, China, Korea. On the territory of Russia, pine mushrooms are found in Sakhalin, Siberia and some areas with light sandy soils and pine forests.

This species grows massively in the northwestern forests of the United States. The Americans have built a lucrative business exporting it to Japan. About 20 years ago, they began to actively collect Japanese mushrooms and sell overseas worth $ 200. per kg. Soon the Canadians began to engage in the same industry. In the 1980s, the Chinese collected matsutake in Shanghai and exported it to Japan or Western Europe, mistaking them for common toadstools, not worthy of attention.

Harvest time

Matsutaki are very demanding on growing conditions. During the day, the temperature should not rise above 26 ℃, and at night it should not drop below 15 ℃; the amount of precipitation during the month must be more than 100 mm. To get a rich and high-quality harvest of these mushrooms, the soil must be fertile and well-drained. However, too much nutrient in the soil leads to poor growth.

If the right conditions are maintained, the crop will ripen by September or October. The collection takes about 20 days. If matsutake is not collected in time, they will start to deteriorate and lose their useful properties, which significantly reduce their value and cost.

External description of the mushroom

Matsutake (Tricholoma matsutake) has a fruiting body with a cap and a leg. Its flesh is white in color, characterized by a pleasant spicy aroma, similar to the smell of cinnamon. The cap is brown in color, and in ripe and overripe mushrooms, its surface cracks and white mushroom pulp is visible through these cracks. In its diameter, the cap of this mushroom is quite large, has a rounded-convex shape, a tubercle of large width is clearly visible on it. The surface of the cap is dry, initially off-white or brownish, smooth. Later, fibrous-type scales appear on it. The edges of the mushroom cap are slightly turned up; fibers and residual veil are often visible on them.

The hymenophore of the fruiting body is represented by the lamellar type. The plates are characterized by a cream or white color, which changes to brown with strong pressure on them or damage. The mushroom pulp is very thick and dense, exudes a pear-cinnamon aroma, the taste is soft, and leaves a bitter aftertaste.

The mushroom leg is quite thick and dense, its length can be from 9 to 25 cm, and its thickness is 1.5-3 cm. Towards the base it expands in the form of a club. Sometimes, on the contrary, it can narrow. It is characterized by an off-white color and an unevenly spaced brown fibrous ring. Above it, a mealy bloom is noticeable, and the lower part of the mushroom leg is covered with nut-brown fibrous scales.

The leg is characterized by a dark brown color and long length. It is very difficult to get it out of the ground.

Cooking use

In cooking, ryadovka shod is prized primarily for its extraordinary aroma and taste, for this reason many dishes are made from this delicacy: soup is prepared, grilled or charred, stewed, pickled, dried. Gourmets prefer to eat them raw.

Before cooking, you need to prepare the mushrooms so as not to get poisoned and at the same time preserve the unique notes in the taste.

To do this, it will be enough to gently rinse them with running water or wipe them with a dampened cloth.

When cooking, you need to consider the following points:

• Only the hardest part of the leg is removed - the lower one (1-2 cm).
• With strong heat treatment, as well as with drying or freezing, matsutake lose their taste and aroma. They cannot be overcooked or overheated.

Ideas and their implementation

What to build from

Like any other building, a two-story gazebo can be built from wood, metal, brick or blocks.

The simplest option is an open terrace on the second floor. At the same time, there is no need to install a roof, it is enough just to make sure that the interfloor overlap is airtight, and the floor of the upper floor is moisture resistant.

The second most difficult element of a two-story arbor is a staircase. But even this task can be simplified by making it not inside, but outside. That is, you can go up to the second floor directly from the street. Otherwise, the construction of a gazebo in two tiers will not be too different from the traditional one.

Spacious gazebo on two floors

It is easier and cheaper to use timber for construction. In any case, this is not metal that needs to be cooked, and not heavy brickwork, for which you need a solid foundation (see DIY foundation for a gazebo: choose the right one and do it). So, we will take as a basis a wooden frame gazebo, similar to the one we see in the photo above. What is needed for this?

Matsutake

Another type of mushroom at an extremely high price is matsutake. These mushrooms grow throughout Asia. This mushroom grows only under the pine trees, so its name literally translates as "pine mushroom".

In appearance it can be compared to Yarsagumba, but the difference is that matsutake is larger and fleshy. The leg of this delicacy is quite long, brown in color, the hat is slightly lighter, and the pulp has a pleasant aroma and sweet taste, similar to cinnamon.

An important feature of the matsutake mushroom is that it cannot be grown artificially, it is found only in the wild. It is not surprising that it is expensive, for 1 kilogram you have to fork out for 120 thousand rubles

Matsutake mushroom is a Japanese representative of the Ryadovkov family (Tricholoma). The literal translation of the name from the language of the land of the rising sun sounds like “pine mushroom”, and on the territory of the Russian Federation the culture acquired the name “Shod ryadovka”.A limited number of amateur mushroom pickers have heard of the product we are considering, since Matsutake is extremely rare and is considered an expensive delicacy. Fruit bodies can compete with sensational gourmet truffles, which are distinguished by their cosmic value. The biggest connoisseurs of the mushroom are the chefs of the Chinese, Korean and Japanese cuisine, as the pine-flavored ingredient perfectly complements savory dishes.

Black truffle

Like its white counterparts, black truffles grow in the bowels of the earth, they have an asymmetrical shape and reach sizes from 3 to 9 centimeters. Young mushrooms are reddish-brown in color, but when fully ripe they turn black like resin.

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All mushrooms of this species have hard flesh; young mushrooms have a characteristic marble pattern. The old ones have dark flesh, this is due to the fact that it contains millions of spores.

Black truffle has a strong pleasant aroma and unusual taste with a little bitterness. This mushroom is considered a delicacy all over the world, some chefs call it “the black diamond on the table”.

Truffle white

This type of mushroom resembles potato tubers, has a characteristic asymmetric shape and can reach 2-12 centimeters. The body of the fungus is usually located underground or slightly rises above its surface. Young truffles are white, ripe ones are yellow-brown, and older mushrooms are most often brown with red blotches.

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This type has a persistent taste that is pleasant only when the mushroom is young or ripe, the old truffle has an unpleasant aroma. The fungus grows throughout Europe and reaches the Antarctic borders, including North America. It is found under oak trees, less often under pine, fir or spruce. The smell of mushrooms is easily determined by pigs, in some companies they are even specially trained to look for such mycelium.

In all countries, white truffle is a delicacy and costs a lot of money, but not in Italy, where it is considered extremely poisonous. In Spain, they generally refused to eat this type of mushroom.

Similar species

1. A honeydew-shaped or bandaged row is a bit similar to the fruit bodies under discussion. This is a rather little-known, but edible mushroom. A bandaged row grows in most cases near pines. The surface of the fruit is scaly-fibrous.
2. The hat is painted in motley brown tones. A ring of fibrous structure can be observed on the stem. The flesh is light colored and quite fleshy. However, the mushroom has a very short stem. Fruit bodies are easy to remove from the soil. At the same time, you can feel a distinct mealy aroma.
3. Tied ryadovka grows in Scandinavia among pine trees. Studies have shown that these mushrooms belong to the same species as the matsukate in question. It was after such confirmation that many mushroom pickers began to collect fruits for export in order to make good money.

The most expensive mushroom

Why is the Japanese mushroom delicacy fabulously expensive? It is very rare, it is difficult to find it, and over the past decades, the harvest of matsutake has greatly decreased due to the appearance of many pests that spoil the roots of trees and destroy mushrooms, because not only people like to eat deliciously, but also animals :), in Japan, they often there are wild boars who are not averse to enjoying a fragrant delicacy.

It has become difficult to buy a real valuable mushroom now. The price of a unique product goes off scale for $ 1000 per kilogram.For example, Chinese counterparts can be purchased for $ 40-50 / 200 grams, while a Japanese delicacy can cost $ 90-100 per hundred (which is 2-3 pieces).

You may ask why there is such a difference in price. An important role is played by the aroma, which gives value to the matsutake mushroom, if it is weak and not pronounced, then the price of the delicacy is lower. So the same color, it should be even and saturated, this also affects the cost.

Somehow, unknowingly, I managed to buy matsutake, at a very low, as it seemed to me, price for them - 2 large Chinese mushrooms, for 12 dollars. And in fact there was a scent, but barely perceptible and not as obvious and memorable as that of elite compatriots. (In the top photo, bento: right clockwise, shimeji mushrooms, fish, tamagoyaki, vegetables, shiitake, sansai, beans, pilaf with chestnut, carrots, sansai and matsutake).

What is the price of truffles?

These mushrooms, as you already know, have a very high price and can only be bought through an auction.

The price can vary significantly. For example, in 2004 a truffle weighing 850 grams was sold at an auction for almost two million rubles.

The funny thing in this situation is that the person who bought this mushroom could not taste it, the delicacy deteriorated on the way to the buyer.

In late autumn 2007, several wealthy people from Hong Kong bought a white truffle for only 12 million rubles. If we take the average price for white truffles, it will be about 500 thousand rubles per 1 kilogram.

Black truffles tend to be slightly cheaper because they are more common in nature. Their average cost is about 250-300 thousand rubles per kilogram.

Description of mushrooms

This type of mushroom is characterized by:

• dry scaly cap, rounded slightly convex in shape, wrapped around the edges, light brown in color;
• irregular light plates that change their color from light white to cream as the fungus grows;
• small dark spores;
• a long, medium-thick leg, widening or tapering towards the base, brown, grows up to 20 cm and is almost completely submerged in the ground;
• firm, but not firm, milky white flesh with an exceptional aroma, including fruity notes and aromas of cinnamon and pine.

These rows grow in symbiosis with pine trees in areas characterized by sandy loam soils. Because of this, the Japanese called them "matsutake", which translates as "pine mushroom".

Properties of mushrooms

Matsutake mushroom has medicinal properties. It contains useful trace elements that are essential for the human body. Thanks to this composition, the ryadovka is able to favorably affect the blood. It helps fight blood diseases and prevents cancer problems. Its properties appear only in the first two days after being removed from the ground. During this time, the product must be consumed raw or dried. This will help cure leukemia.

Mature, full-grown matsutake is also used for medicinal purposes, but its beneficial properties are greatly reduced. They are used to prevent cancer and remove carcinogens from the body.

Their fruiting bodies are ground into powder and drugs are made to fight viral infections. In Japan, when the flu appears, capsules with such a powder are prescribed. Also, tinctures are made from mushrooms, which are recommended to drink to lower blood pressure, treat diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, and normalize blood sugar levels.

Matsutake

External description of the mushroom

Matsutake (Tricholoma matsutake) has a fruiting body with a cap and a leg. Its flesh is white in color, characterized by a pleasant spicy aroma, similar to the smell of cinnamon. The hat has a brown color, and in ripe and overripe mushrooms, its surface cracks and white mushroom pulp is visible through these cracks.In its diameter, the cap of this mushroom is quite large, has a rounded-convex shape, a tubercle of large width is clearly visible on it. The surface of the cap is dry, initially off-white or brownish, smooth. Later, fibrous-type scales appear on it. The edges of the mushroom cap are slightly turned up; fibers and residual veil are often visible on them.

The hymenophore of the fruiting body is represented by the lamellar type. The plates are characterized by a cream or white color, which changes to brown with strong pressure on them or damage. The mushroom pulp is very thick and dense, exudes a pear-cinnamon aroma, the taste is soft, leaves a bitter aftertaste.

The mushroom leg is quite thick and dense, its length can be from 9 to 25 cm, and its thickness is 1.5-3 cm. Towards the base it expands in the form of a club. Sometimes, on the contrary, it can narrow. It is characterized by an off-white color and an irregular brown fibrous ring. Above it, a mealy bloom is noticeable, and the lower part of the mushroom leg is covered with nut-brown fibrous scales.

The leg is characterized by a dark brown color and long length. It is very difficult to get it out of the ground.

Habitat and fruiting period

The Matsutake mushroom, whose name is translated from Japanese as a pine mushroom, grows mainly in Asia, China and Japan, North America and Northern Europe. It grows near the foot of trees, often hiding under fallen leaves. A characteristic feature of the matsutake mushroom is its symbiosis with the roots of powerful trees growing in certain areas. For example, in North America the mushroom is symbiotic with pine or fir, and in Japan - with red pine. Prefers to grow on infertile and dry soil, forms annular colonies. Interestingly, as this type of mushroom matures, the soil under the mycelium turns white for some reason. If suddenly the soil fertility increases, such an environment becomes unsuitable for further growth of Matsutake (Tricholoma matsutake). This usually happens when the number of falling branches and old leaves increases.

Fruiting matsutake begins in September and continues until October. On the territory of the Russian Federation, this type of fungus is widespread in the Southern Urals, the Urals, the Far East and Primorye, Eastern and Southern Siberia.

Matsutake (Tricholoma matsutake) is a mycorrhizal forming agent of oak and pine, found in oak-pine and just pine forests. Fruiting bodies of the fungus are found only in groups.

Edibility

Matsutake mushroom (Tricholoma matsutake) is edible, and you can use it in any form, both raw and boiled, stewed or fried. The mushroom is characterized by high taste, sometimes it is pickled or salted, but more often it is eaten fresh. Can be dried. The pulp of the fruiting body is elastic, and the taste is specific, like the aroma (matsutake smells like resin). It is highly appreciated by gourmets. Matsutake can be dried.

Similar species, distinctive features from them

In 1999, scientists from Sweden, Danell and Bergius, conducted a study that made it possible to accurately determine that the Swedish mushroom Tricholoma nauseosum, previously considered just a similar species to the Japanese matsutake, is in fact the same species of mushroom. The official results of the comparative DNA allowed a significant increase in the number of exports of this variety of mushrooms from Scandinavia to Japan. And the main reason for such a demand for the product was its delicious taste and pleasant mushroom aroma.

The use of the mushroom in traditional medicine

Very appetizing mushrooms fried over an open fire in combination with citrus sauce. Can be added to soup to create a completely new flavor for well-known foods. It goes well with rice, seafood, vegetables, chicken. Cannot be dried and frozen, and must not be stored for a long time.The aroma lasts no more than three days.

You can also prepare special means for the treatment and prevention of diseases. One of such remedies is a tincture of matsutake mushroom in honey.

Products must be taken in a one-to-one proportion. Cut the mushrooms into thin slices and pour over the honey so that it completely covers the raw material. If the honey is solid, melt it in a water bath. Cooking should be done in glass containers. Close the lid tightly and refrigerate for 7 days. It can be stored for up to four weeks in a cool, dark place.

Matsutaki vodka tincture can be purchased ready-made. It should be taken in accordance with the instructions that are always attached.

Caloric content and chemical composition

Matsutake Forest Mushrooms are among the most expensive mushrooms in the world. The product has incredible nutritional and healing properties, a low-calorie product with a minimum amount of fat.

The product contains one and a half grams of fructose and 0.2 grams of glucose per hundred grams of mushrooms. The Japanese truffle has a rather complex chemical composition.

Vitamins PP, D7, D2, C, A, group B, betaine. Thanks to such a quantity of vitamins, the product is able to normalize the functioning of the whole organism. Matsutake pine mushrooms contain folic acid necessary for the human body, which is responsible for the full functioning of the reproductive system and for the usefulness of metabolic processes.

Magnesium - thanks to this component, the work of the gastrointestinal tract, the work of the cardiovascular system is improved, it allows you to relax the central nervous system, suppress the depressive state, and feel at ease.

Potassium - this important substance is responsible for the normalization of the acid-base balance. Antibiotics of natural origin - fomecin and clitocin, can effectively fight viral bacteria and cancer cells

Natural antibiotics - fomecin and clitocin, can effectively fight viral bacteria and cancer cells.

Protein - the product is full of proteins, protein is the main component for the renewal of cells and tissues of the human body.

Polysaccharides - is a carbohydrate that directly positively affects the functioning of the kidneys, liver and gastrointestinal tract, and also stimulates the endocrine and immune systems.

Lecithin is an important and useful organic substance that cleanses the body of cholesterol and prevents it from accumulating again. Ergothioneine is a powerful herbal antioxidant that has a protective effect on skin cells

Ergothioneine is a powerful herbal antioxidant that has a protective effect on skin cells.

Matsutake is more similar in chemical composition to meat. From this it follows that vegetarians are simply advised to add this product to their diet to provide the body with all nutritious and vital components.

Calorie table and BJU

According to the energy ratio, BZHU can be compared (in percent): 56/23/14.

Matsutake mushroom picking season and distribution

Matsutake means "pine mushroom" (translated from Japanese). The name entirely determines its place of distribution, since this mushroom delicacy grows mainly under the pines. At times, it can be found in mixed forests where coaxial trees grow alongside deciduous trees.

Watch a video about the legend of Sakhalin - the matsutake mushroom.

Currently, in Japan, the mushroom is recognized as a rarity, therefore, to some extent, local gourmets have to be content with the supply of mushrooms from abroad. Now the delicacy is widespread in Asia, Sweden, America, Finland.In Russia, matsutake mushrooms can be found in the forests of Siberia, Belarus, the Far East, as well as in the southern Ural forests.

The fungus organizes an extensive group, often braiding the pines in a ring. Due to the inconspicuous cap that adorns the deeply seated mushroom leg, it is difficult to notice it.

In addition, matsutake is a demanding mushroom, so to get a bountiful harvest, you need to pay attention to temperature conditions, environmental humidity and soil fertility. It is necessary that the following factors are present:

1. The air temperature during the day is no more than 26 degrees Celsius, and at night - no less than 15 degrees.
2. The precipitation level for twenty days is above 100 mm.
3. The soil must be well drained and excess nutrient medium should be avoided. If foliage fallen from trees leads to an increased content of humus in the soil, this will interfere with the development of fruit chalk.

Subject to the conditions listed above, the collection season will fall on the beginning of September and the first half of October, and its duration will be about 20 days. It is during this period that delicacy pickers in Japan go on a "mushroom hunt". Together with them, pickers from Sweden, Finland, Korea, China, North America extract matsutake mushrooms.

Matsutake mushrooms in Russia and its prevalence

The list of places where matsutake mushrooms grow in Russia includes the Ural and Siberian forests, the Amur Region, Khabarovsk and Primorsky Krai. But mostly shod ryadovka grows on the island of Sakhalin. A fairly large population of matsutake is located in the Manchu Highlands, in mixed forests, where the fungus has organized a symbiosis with the red pine. The shoe row, which is collected in this area, is highly valued by Japanese gourmets.

Previously, this mushroom was considered poisonous by the Russians, it was practically not eaten, massively exporting large volumes of mushrooms abroad. In particular, exports were developed from the Far Eastern lands to China and Japan. Only after the matsutake was included in the Red Book in 2002 was its exportation stopped.

Usually, mushroom pickers visiting the forests of Sakhalin are well aware of the fact that these delicious mushrooms grow there. An experienced "hunter" for mushrooms knows how to distinguish matsutake from the Sakhalin champignons widespread there. In addition, mushroom pickers know what month is mushrooming already matsutake - the beginning of the collection falls on the autumn period, and already from the first days of September you can go for them.

At the same time, in some cases, the first mushrooms begin to appear as early as August, which is determined only by external weather and climatic conditions. The mushroom grows only in natural conditions, at present it is not cultivated artificially.

Mushroom benefits and cooking

The main advantage of the delicacy is its characteristic aroma with sweetness and some spice. Also, it should be borne in mind that after collecting the smell gradually begins to fade away, so it is recommended to cook them almost immediately. Most appreciated are young delicacies, whose hat has not yet had time to open.

Matsutake mushrooms are absolutely not suitable for drying. As a delicacy, they need to be cooked briefly in order to preserve their pleasant aroma. The mushroom legs are usually cut into small slices or even broken.

The first thing to watch out for is the cooking time, as it is extremely important not to overcook the matsutake.

Often matsutake is combined with a side dish such as small chicken slices and mushrooms.

What other interesting facts do you know about this mushroom? Leave your message at! And also watch a video about unique mushrooms.