松茸菌 The world's most expensive mushrooms

[abcdefg]

Songrong jun, 松茸菌，known as the matsutake wild pine mushroom, can fetch $1,000 USD per kilogram if they are prime. Considerably more in Japan and Korea. Even here in Yunnan, where much of Asia's supply originates, they are usually the most costly variety that a vendor will have for sale at his stall. They only grow in high mountain forests, near the base of old pine trees. They can't be cultivated so far as I am aware.

 

Several other types of wild mushrooms 野生菌 are a better value and I usually stick to them. But the flavor of fresh songrong cannot be beat. We have had about a week and a half of every-day rains, and I knew supplies would be up。 Reasoned that maybe prices would be down, on the other end of the see-saw, because of a temporary oversupply. Not really sure if they were. Nonetheless, today I succumbed to the urge to buy some.

 

I wound up with four magnificent specimens. Started to buy six, but couldn't afford it; had to put two of them back. The four cost me 140 Yuan, bargained down from an original ￥175. I don't remember the weight, but they are always quoted by the 市两 not by the 斤。I believe that is 50 grams.

 

Here's what mine looked like. Each one was between 6 and 8 inches long.

 

 

 

An important note on selection. The cap should be closed, not open. You should not be able to see the gills. Mushroom gurus say they "should look more like a penis, not an umbrella." Click on the second snapshot above to make it bigger, and you will see what this means.

 

Chop a couple of crinkly, mildly-hot green peppers 虎皮辣椒。I remove the seeds, but you could leave some of them in if you want your dish more spicy. I use one pepper per each mushroom. Fine chop some garlic. I use the single-clove kind that is abundant here because it's way less trouble. 独蒜。If the garlic cloves are large, I use a half per mushroom. If the are small, I use a whole one per mushroom. This recipe needs plenty of garlic.

 

 

 

Pause with me now for brief a note about equipment. Wild mushrooms need to be sliced really, really thin. I always sharpen my knife before starting in with them. If you've been wondering how to buy a sharpening stone in China, you can now see the words for it below. 磨刀石

 

 

 

Now clean the mushrooms. The have lots of soil on the stems and will be gritty if it isn't removed. First use moist paper towels to wipe off what you can. Then use a soft-bristle mushroom brush if you have one. If not, use a toothbrush, employing a very light hand.

 

 

 

Rinse them and pat dry when you're done. Do not soak them in water; they will absorb some of the water and not fry nicely. (I admit cleaning tips are debated among cognoscenti.)

 

 

Use plenty of a good quality oil; fry over medium heat. Use your 锅铲 or spatula to turn things over and then press down lightly again and again to make sure all parts of the food contact the metal. The red in my wok is slivers of red bell pepper added on the spur of the moment to make it more pleasing to the casual eye. Not really a flavor ingredient.

 

Fry until the edges of the mushroom slices begin to turn a little bit golden and the peppers become wilted, but not overly soft. Today I timed it for the sake of this article, and my batch took 15 minutes to reach the point of "just right." Don't leave them and walk away to do something else while they are sautéing. Stay right there with them; your attention is needed.

 

Plate it up. Glorious! What is shown here is two only mushrooms worth. Enough for two people as a side dish or one person as a main course. Serve with steamed rice and another vegetable (preferably a simple one -- like leafy greens.) Maybe a meat dish and a soup for a more complete meal. Let the mushrooms have center stage; they should be the star.

 

 

 

I will make the other two mushrooms tonight, using a different method. Should add a word here about wild mushroom storage. Don't keep them in the original plastic bag and don't clean them before putting them away. Just lay each mushroom in a paper towel and fold loosely. I set mine in a shallow tin bowl, which I put in the fridge. Could just leave them on the kitchen counter if your weather is cool. They will keep for only one day or so; not longer.

 

 

 

Realize this post has gotten long, but as an optional footnote, I should probably tell you about the etiquette of buying mushrooms in the market. The vendor doesn't much like you to handle them, but you still need to make sure each one is to your liking. After all, it's a major investment.

 

Pick the mushroom up only by the stem with two fingers, as close to the bottom (the dirt end) as possible. Hold it lightly while you check it for flaws. Don't rummage around for hours. Agree on a general price before starting; and haggle for adjustments as you go along. ("Oh, but these are all so big. Oh, but these are all so small." Pointing out tiny flaws.)

 

Hope you have a chance to enjoy some songrong wild mushrooms during your time in China. They are not cheap and they are not particularly easy to prepare, but the taste is memorable. In fact, it's nothing short of spectacular. Yunnan is the national leader in their commerce, but they can be found in other parts of the country as well.

[Flickserve]

Thanks. Sounds wonderful!! My stomach is rumbling.

[abcdefg]

Thanks, Flickserve. If you had been around Kunming, I would have invited you to share them at my table.

[xiaokaka]

Thanks a lot! I always enjoy reading your cooking posts!

[abcdefg]

You're more than welcome Xiaokaka!

[roddy]

Excellent posts, thanks!