• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Forager | Chef
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Interviews
  • Partnerships
  • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Interviews
  • Partnerships
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • About
    • Recipes
    • Interviews
    • Partnerships
    • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Types of Edible Wild Mushrooms

    Tricholoma caligatum: The False Matsutake

    Published: Sep 1, 2018 Modified: Oct 13, 2024 Author: Alan Bergo

    Tricholoma caligatum is an edible mushroom, most notable for fooling people into thinking they've found matsutake. The good news is if you've found these mushrooms, you're on the right track. After reading this post you'll be able to easily separate the two mushrooms using a few, key ID points.

    Tricholoma caligatum the false matsutake

    After I wrote about foraging matsutake (Tricholoma magnivelare) in Minnesota and Wisconsin I got a bunch of emails about the mushrooms. Most are pictures of Tricholoma caligatum.

    A Matsutake Look Alike

    Tricholoma caligatum, (formerly known as Armillaria caligata) is very similar to true matsutake at a glance. There's a few characteristics that give them away though. The good news is that all of the European and North American matsutake and T. caligatum are edible.

    Minnesota Matsutake MushroomsT. magnivelare

    matsutake mushroomsT. murillianum

    Tricholoma caligatum the false matsutakeT. caligatum

    Tricholoma Caligatum Identification

    Tricholoma caligatum (false matsutake) should technically only grow in Europe and North Africa. The North American species, while closely related, will probably get a new name sometime down the road.

    Tricholoma caligatum young and old mushrooms
    Tricholoma caligatum young and old mushrooms
    Young and mature T. caligatum.

    These mushrooms grow symbiotically with deciduous trees, especially oak and mixed hardwood forests in Minnesota, Wisconsin and the Midwest. Similar-looking mushrooms may grow with pine trees in different parts of the country.

    One of the most notable characteristics is the "booted stem". The lower portion of the mushroom is sheathed with a brownish veil that can flare out at the top. Like matsutake, they may also have have their gills covered by a partial veil as they age.

    a mushroom stem with a brown veil

    True Matsutake vs False Matsutake

    • True matsutake grow only with conifers (red pine and jack pine are where mine grow). T. caligatum usually grows with deciduous trees.
    • False matsutake do not have a strong smell. True matsutake have a unique mushroom smell: a spicy, aroma with hints of cinnamon.
    • The matsutake I pick in Minnesota and Wisconsin are generally very large, heavy, and dense. I've picked some mushrooms that weigh over a pound each. False matsutake are usually smaller and lighter.
    • The brown colorations on false matsutake I've collected are a deeper brown color more pronounced than in true matsutake.

    Is Tricholoma caligatum bitter?

    Keep in mind I'm a professional chef, not a mycologist. T. caligatum is part of a group or mushroom complex that needs genetic sequencing to separate the species. So, the Tricholoma caligatum I pick, might taste different than ones collected in other places in North America. Mushrooms from Costa Rica, Pennsylvania, or California might taste different too.

    None of the false matsutake I've picked have had bitterness to them in the typical sense I would describe. The specimens I've eaten have a mild mushroom flavor.

    There is a taste alongside the mushroom flavor. It isn't the strong bitter taste of Tylopilus felleus or other bitter boletes, but some have had a mild after taste. I haven't found the flavor unpleasant.

    That said, bitterness in collections of T. caligatum seems to be pretty well documented. My advice is to chew a tiny amount and spit them out, making sure that you have ruled out Amanita species.

    More

    Guide to Matsutake (Pine Mushrooms)

    « Saffron Milk Cap Mushroom Paella
    American Burnweed / Erechtites hieraciifolius »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Chris L.

      October 09, 2024 at 11:15 pm

      Hey Chef Alan. I collected about 7 number ones & twos of the matsutake. Upon sniffing them I noticed 2 of them were not scented right. Upon further observation I'm certain they are Tricholoma murrillianum. I probably should abhor the source, but I am reading wiki saying these are also called Western matsutake, ponderosa & pine mushrooms. Is this for real?! Appreciate your input of knowledge. Also, I suspect it is a typo but your link is spelling matsutake differently. Thanks sir!

      Reply
    2. Adnan

      February 11, 2020 at 4:31 am

      Very interesting as a subject.
      I would like to have more details on the variety of Tricholoma matsutake and Tricholoma caligatum
      Can you tell me which variety is in symbiosis with cedar wood? Tricholoma matsutake or Tricholoma caligatum?
      What is the current value on the wholesale market of the variety Tricholoma caligatum?
      Thank you in advance

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        February 12, 2020 at 1:32 pm

        Couldn't tell you. The market price of caligatum is non-existent. They're not sold commerically to my knowledge. Some are supposedly bitter, but those reports are not in my region.

        Reply
        • Adnan KAROUN

          February 13, 2020 at 3:03 am

          Thank you for your reply.
          Also, you have no ideas on the varieties that are harvested under the cedar woods?
          Thanks for the compliment

          Reply
          • Alan Bergo

            February 15, 2020 at 9:47 am

            I can't speak to species harvested under cedar, no.

            Reply
    3. Randy

      December 24, 2019 at 8:54 pm

      So I've found a couple of false ones. How would I cook these? I tried your recipe for cooking real Matsutake mushrooms in parchment, but wasn't thrilled with the outcome, especially after addimg the lime juice. Perhaps just a butter and garlic saute would work?

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        December 24, 2019 at 9:02 pm

        Randy, sorry you didn’t care for the Matsies en pappillote—-steamed shrooms aren’t for everybody. T. caligatum is way different than true matsies, I’d just sauté them up like “regular” mushrooms if you’re aren’t bitter (mine aren’t). Alan

        Reply
    4. Joe Sandegren

      November 20, 2018 at 12:39 pm

      True Matsutake do grow in and around Oak trees, specifically in Northern California, and possibly Southern Oregon. They are sometimes called "Tan Oaks" in that area.

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        December 01, 2018 at 8:04 am

        Thanks Joe.

        Reply
    5. Marie

      October 14, 2018 at 10:19 pm

      Great post, Alan! Found is after looking up false matsutake...

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        October 18, 2018 at 12:32 pm

        Thanks, I had to put it up this year after getting swamped with photos and emails. Easy to tell apart, especially if you’ve eaten the real deal.

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Chef Alan Bergo

    HI, I'm Alan: James Beard Award-winning Chef, Author, Show Host and Forager. I've been writing about cooking wild food here for over a decade. Let me show you why foraging is the most delicious thing you'll ever do.

    More about me →

    Get The Book

    the forager chef's book of flora
    The Forager Chefs Book of Flora

    As Seen On

    An image showing many different brands and media companies forager chef alan bergo has worked with.

    Footer

    Privacy

    Subscribe

    Be the first to hear what I'm doing

    Contact

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2025 Forager | Chef LLC® Accessibility Statement