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Award-winning chef, author and forager Alan Bergo. Food is all around you.

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Foraging and Cooking Matsutake or Pine Mushrooms

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Matsutake mushrooms or Tricholoma magnivelare

Tricholoma murillianum, the PNW matsie.

A mushroom of legend. For over 1000 years, the Japanese have waxed poetic about matsutake as a symbol of autumn and longevity, with haikus and plenty of ceremony devoted to them. These, along with Maitake, were two mushrooms known to be collected by samurai.

Matsutake mushroom from Minnesota

A nice button.

Species 

Like other prized mushrooms, each species of matsutake has a symbiotic relationship with trees. The exact species of host tree will vary from place to place, but they will always be pine trees. Here’s a list of current species.

Tricholoma murrillianum

The variety harvested in the Pacific Northwest and sold commercially. One commercial hunter I know says lodgepole pine are his best producers. 

Tricholoma magnivelare

The species found in Eastern North America. They love red pine plantations and jack pine.

Tricholoma neausoesum

Known as the Swedish matsutake, popularized by Chef Magnus Nilsson and others.

Tricholoma matsutake

The real deal. These are the mushrooms harvested in Japan and Korea that are the most prized.

Tricholoma mesoamericanum

A more recently identified matsie from Mexico.

Minnesota Matsutake Mushrooms

Tricholoma magnivelare in Wisconsin.

Commercial sale 

Matsutake are one of the most coveted mushrooms, typically available in the fall through specialty suppliers.

From Mycophilia:

“In 1992, the New York Times reported that Japanese businessmen spent as much as 240$ American for a box of three or four mushrooms”

“In 2007, The North Korean leader Kim Jong II gave President Roh Moo-hyun of South Korea 500 such boxes equaling 4 tons of matsutake mushrooms prior to a summit meeting.”

Age and Grade 

These are sold under number a system for chefs: 1, 2, 3, etc. 1’s, the young buttons with an unbroken veil have the most potent flavor and the highest price. After the veil breaks and the mushroom has started to mature the aroma and flavor become weak.

 
Matsutake mushrooms from Minnesota of varying size

No. 1 buttons are the most prized. 

Habitat: loss and gains

Unfortunately, the harvest in Japan has been declining from habitat loss. To meet the demand (they’re impossible to grow), matsutake recently discovered in China, Korea, Sweden, Mexico are filling the gap along with the Pacific Northwest, which exports more than any place in the world.

Hunting matsutake mushrooms in pine plantations

Where I live pure red pine stands are the best territory. 

Commercial pickers roam pine forests in the Pacific Northwest each fall on the hunt for them, and locations are closely held secrets. There’s reports of people hiding out on trails robbing commercial pickers at gunpoint as well as much scarier tales.

Matsutake mushrooms buried in pine needles

A “mushrump”. Underneath those needles was 4 matsutake.

From Mycophilia:

“Stories about matsutake related violence in national forests (one man shot through the heart, his mushrooms missing; five dead in a prime matsutake patch, etc.) Have receded into legend.”

There’s a silver lining though. In Eastern North America, matsutake numbers are increasing, and, according the book “The Mushroom at the End of the World” they seem to be slowly infiltrating red pine plantations throughout Eastern North America. My own experience supports this too.

The mushroom at the end of the world

An excellent reference. I listen to it on Audible. 

Identification

True matsutake:

  • Have a veil covering the gills when young.
  • Have a powerful aroma when young that may smell like pine soil, cinnamon candy, and radishes.
  • Always grow with coniferous trees-never deciduous.
Matsutake mushrooms from Minnesota

Note the difference in size. The small buttons are what you want.

Look A Likes

There’s a few look-a-likes that may grow in similar habitat at the same time. None are poisonous. 

Tricholoma caligatum

The most common matsutake look-a-like is Tricholoma caligatum. Unlike true matsutake, these don’t have a strong pine aroma, may taste bitter, and only grow with hardwoods.

Tricholoma caligatum the false matsutake

False matsutake or Tricholoma caligatum.

You will never see them growing near red pine, jack pine, or other matsutake host trees. T. caligatum is edible, but it’s nothing special.

Cathelasma imperiale

 I haven’t seen these yet, and some hunters have told me it’s more rare than Matsutake themselves. It grows with conifers and is said to be a mediocre edible.

Midwestern Matsutake

Matsutake grow in the Midwest, but those places are rare. To hunters who know, they can be a holy grail of mushrooms. If you want to quest for them yourself, see my post: Hunting the Midwestern Matsutake: II. 

Raw matsutake with acorn oil and kinome

Matsutake are one of the few mushrooms you can serve raw.

Cooking

The flavor of matsutake is deeply connected to Japanese food, so that’s the best place to get inspiration for your matsutake recipes. First you’ll need to clean them, and that can be difficult.

Matsutake Mushrooms from Minnesota

Fresh mushrooms can be covered in sand.

Cleaning

Unless you’re picking yourself, the mushrooms have probably been sitting in a grocery store. Sitting on a shelf they dry out, making sand and dirt stick to them that can be difficult to remove. To clean matsutake, I like to peel them with a vegetable peeler.

Raw matsutake mushrooms sliced

Peeled, cleaned matsies.

Flavor 

With pine mushrooms, it’s all about the aroma and flavor. I’ve cooked lots of wild mushrooms, but matsutake are in a class of their own. They’re uniquely flavored and hard to describe, with an aroma powerful that some people won’t like them. To me, it’s one of nature’s most incredible flavors, and the definition of delicacy. 

Mycologist David Arora describes the aroma as a combination of red hots and dirty socks. Personally, I think they taste like the essence of pine soil, with a little spice thrown in. 

Kinpira gobo with matsutake and waterpepper

Matsutake Kinpira Gobo.

Dried

You might see dried matsutake for sale, or be tempted to dehydrate mushrooms if you have a good harvest. Unfortunately Matsutake lose their flavor after drying.

Matsutake mushroom miso soup recipe

The best miso soup you’ve ever had.

A better method is to wrap them in foil and freeze-the David Arora technique. From there they can be cooked straight from the freezer.

Quick tips

  • Matsutake gohan is the most traditional recipe. 
  • Traditionally the mushrooms are torn into pieces for cooking. 
  • No butter, cream or cheese should be served with Matsutake. 
  • Don’t combine them with too many things or you won’t be able to taste them.
  • Cooking matsutake on high heat in a sauté pan will make their aroma waft into the air.
  • They pair well with fish and seafood.
  • Try grilling them “medium rare” as I share in my post here.
  • Try eating them raw for a real treat, drizzled with good tasting oil (especially nut or seed oil) and sprinkled with a pinch of salt.
Print Recipe
5 from 2 votes

How to Clean Matsutake for Cooking

Matsutake can be very dirty and sandy. Here's how I clean them.
Cook Time20 mins

Video

Recipes

  • Matsutake Miso Soup 
  • Matsutake Fried Rice 
  • Raw Matsutake
  • Matsutake Ramen

More Matsutake 

More 

35 Essential Wild Mushrooms Every Forager Should Know 

Related Links 

Hunting the Minnesota Matsutake II

The Mushroom at the end of the World

Mushroom Expert: T. murillianum

Mycophilia

Matsutake mushrooms Tricholoma murrillianum from Washington

Related

Previous Post: « Shellfish Ragu, Aborted Entolomas, Heirloom Tomatoes, Mint
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. J. Michael

    October 22, 2016 at 5:40 pm

    I am a matsutake newcomer who has had a very good year collecting this year. I’m curious about your recommendation that they not be cooked with cheeses or cream. Two of my favorite recipes are to put them in a goats milk and cheese quiche, and in a savory goat bread pudding. Their flavor is so strong I’m mixing them 1 part to 2 parts milder mushroom.

    • Alan Bergo

      October 31, 2016 at 4:36 pm

      Hi J, if you like them with cheese or cream, more power to you. Personal preference.

  2. Dalanea Hackett

    December 10, 2017 at 7:45 pm

    Have you tried drying the matsutake and if so is there a way of drying them so they remain White or as white as possible. The buyers here say that the only way they’ll take them dried is if they are white. Tried several times I’ve gotten them golden but not white. Any suggestions on how to accomplish this.

    • Alan Bergo

      December 13, 2017 at 12:19 pm

      Hmm, I have dried them, but I’m not sure why anyone would insist on only buying them dried if the color is white, that seems odd to me for some reason, but then again, the vagaries of matsutake purchasing traditions in Asia I’m only casually familiar with. That being said, if I want to keep the color of certain mushrooms, I’ve found that acidic compounds tends to keep colors after cooking, but my experiments have only been with very vibrant mushrooms, like Lactifluus indigo. Maybe you could try dunking them in water seasoned with citric acid, vinegar, or citrus juice, sorry I can’t be of more help on this.

  3. nisga'a picker

    August 21, 2019 at 11:15 pm

    shave or peel off the outsides and gills then use food dehydrator

  4. Ruth Peddinghaus

    September 20, 2019 at 5:35 pm

    Just picked 15 lbs. in the great Northwest!
    So excited! Had to pay $20.00 For a 4 day permit. I’m going out again tomorrow. Can’t wait to pare it with my home made Miso.

    • Alan Bergo

      September 21, 2019 at 12:20 pm

      My Favorite mushroom. Congratulations!

  5. Betsy Smith

    October 7, 2019 at 11:08 am

    I just found my first matsutake here in Vermont, you mentioned in one of your comments that you dehydrate them. Do you recommend it? I would hate to loose these guys to a failed effort to keep them. Also, what about saute and freeze?
    Thanks!
    Betsy

  6. Ella

    November 5, 2019 at 1:00 pm

    You say how other people describe their aroma. How do you describe it?

    • Alan Bergo

      November 9, 2019 at 3:03 pm

      Like the essence of pine soil. It’s almost like it abosorbs resinous compounds from the substrate. Mushroomy, but piney as well. The smell is pretty striking.

  7. Craig W

    July 30, 2020 at 12:13 pm

    Greetings. I feel like I may have found many in stage 1 in near Pine County. But given how young and my inexperience, I lack the confidence. The web appears to have information on lookalikes and the results could be grim. My plan is dehydrate some now and track the others to see if I can better ID them. If you have any advice or would like to see pictures, feel free to contact.

    Finally, enjoyed your presentation (and eats) this past January at the Lake Superior Mycological club.

    • Alan Bergo

      August 1, 2020 at 8:39 am

      It would be very, very early for them, but I can take a look at some images. I’ll shoot you a message.

  8. Martijn Van Boxtel

    August 28, 2020 at 2:12 pm

    How best to preserve the matsutake? Is it better to freeze them of dry them?

    • Alan Bergo

      August 28, 2020 at 8:01 pm

      Sweat in a little oil, vacuum seal, and freeze.

  9. F SUN

    February 17, 2021 at 4:39 pm

    5 stars
    Hi, I just bought a package of Dried Matsutake. Never had them before, so goggled and found your site. Any recommendation on how to use them ? The package just says to rinise them in running water to remove debris; then to reconstitute, soak in warm water for 30-60 minutes. I was planning to use them in chicken or pork (neck bone) soup with lots of veggie. Not sure if that is a good ideal after reading your post here.

    Thanks very much.

    • Alan Bergo

      February 18, 2021 at 7:22 am

      Don’t put them in vegetable soup, you won’t taste them at all. Dried matsutake are nothing like their fresh form, but for the best flavor, and to do them honor, you’ll want to use them in something very simple. See my miso soup for an example, also cooking the mushrooms into dashi and then chopping up fine, and using the liquid to cook rice like matsutake gohan could be nice. Hope that helps. Alan

      • F SUN

        February 18, 2021 at 10:53 am

        Thanks Alan. Glad I asked and you have now given me a different direction to expirment. Will definitely try the miso soup which I just started doing recently as well. Also, using the broth to cook rice sounds interesting; mix my own multi-grain mix, this should be interesting. Thanks and take care.

Trackbacks

  1. What is celtuce or stem lettuce, and how to cook it? says:
    November 14, 2014 at 4:17 pm

    […] a giant mix of anything would be a waste in my opinion. The taste of celtuce is strong, but, like matsutake, it can also be overpowered easily by too many ingredients, simple preparations like the following […]

  2. Fried Chicken Mushrooms, Lyophyllum Decastes says:
    January 17, 2015 at 12:18 am

    […] praising their aroma or flavor, like you will their cousins in the greater Tricholoma family: Matsutake and Honey […]

  3. - Real Food To Heal says:
    October 1, 2020 at 9:36 pm

    […] cherished they are for great taste. Unlike other mushrooms, they take a little longer to clean. Clean them with a damp cloth; otherwise, if they take too much water, they will become heavy and too wet, […]

  4. Why Matsutake Mushrooms Are Good For You: Everything You Need To Know | Real Food To Heal says:
    October 18, 2020 at 11:23 pm

    […] cherished they are for great taste. Unlike other mushrooms, they take a little longer to clean. Clean them with a damp cloth; otherwise, if they take too much water, they will become heavy and too wet, […]

  5. Why Matsutake Mushrooms Are Good For You: Everything You Need To Know - Real Food To Heal says:
    November 27, 2020 at 3:41 pm

    […] cherished they are for great taste. Unlike other mushrooms, they take a little longer to clean. Clean them with a damp cloth; otherwise, if they take too much water, they will become heavy and too wet, […]

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FORAGER | CHEF®
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Author: The Forager Chef’s Book of Flora
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Alan Bergo
HALP! I’ve been keeping an eye on two loaded mul HALP! I’ve been keeping an eye on two loaded mulberry trees and both got a bunch of fruit knocked down by the storms and wind. 

If anyone in West WI or around the Twin Cities knows of some trees, (ideally on private property but beggars can’t be choosers) that I could climb and shake with a tarp underneath, shoot me a DM and let’s pick some! 🤙😄

TIA

#throwadogabone #mansquirrel #beattlefruit #mulberries #shakintrees
Lampascioni, or edible hyacinth bulbs are one of t Lampascioni, or edible hyacinth bulbs are one of the more interesting things I’ve eaten. 

These are an ancient wild food traditionally harvested in Southern Italy, especially in Puglia and the Salentine Peninsula, as well as Greece and Crete. I’ve seen at least 6-7 different names for them. 

A couple different species are eaten, but Leopoldia comosa is probably the one I see mentioned the most. They also grow wild in North America. 

The bulbs are toxic raw, but edible after an extended boil. Traditionally they’re preserved in vinegar and oil, pickled, or preserves in other methods using acid and served as antipasti. (Two versions in pic 3). 

They’re one of the most heavily documented traditional wild foods I’ve seen. There’s a few shots of book excerpts here.

The Oxford companion to Italian Food says you can eat them raw-don’t do that. 

Even after pickling, the bulbs are aggressively extremely bitter. Definitely an acquired taste, but one that’s grown on me. 

#traditionalfoods #vampagioli #lampascione #cucinapovera #lampascioni #leopoldiacomosa #foraging
Went to some new spots yesterday looking for poke Went to some new spots yesterday looking for poke sallet and didn’t do too well (I’m at the tip of its range). I did see some feral horseradish though which I don’t see very often. 

Just like wild parsnip, this is the exact same plant you see in the store and garden-just escaped. 

During the growing season the leaves can be good when young. 

They have an aggressive taste bitter enough to scare your loved ones. Excellent in a blend of greens cooked until extra soft, preferably with bacon or similar. 

For reference, you don’t harvest the root while the plant is growing as they’ll be soft and unappealing-do that in the spring or fall. This is essentially the same as when people tell you to harvest in months that have an R in them. 

#amoraciarusticana #foraging #horseradishleaves #horseradish #bittergreens
In Italy chicken of the woods is known as “fungo In Italy chicken of the woods is known as “fungo del carrubo” (carob tree mushroom) as it’s one of the common tree hosts there. 

My favorite, and really the only traditional recipe I’ve found for them so far is simmered in a spicy tomato sauce with hot chile and capers, served with grilled bread. 

Here I add herbs too: fresh leaves of bee balm that are perfect for harvesting right now and have a flavor similar to oregano and thyme. 

Makes a really good side dish or app, especially if you shower it with a handful of pecorino before scooping it up with the bread. 

#chickenofthewoods #fungodelcarrubo #allthemushroomtags #traditionalfoods #beebalm
First of the year 😁. White-pored chicken of t First of the year 😁. 

White-pored chicken of the woods (Laetiporus cincinnatus) are my favorite chicken. 

Superior bug resistance, slightly better flavor + texture. They also stay tender longer compared to their more common yellow-pored cousins. Not a single bug in this guy. 

#treemeat #ifoundfood #foraging #laetiporuscincinnatus #chickenofthewoods
TBT brisket face 💦. Staff meal with @jesseroes TBT brisket face 💦. Staff meal with 
@jesseroesler and crew @campwandawega
📸 @misterberndt 

#staffmeal #brisket #meatsweats #naptime
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