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October 18, 2023
It is hard to believe that the summer just flew by. The State Fair is here, and the weather is perfect with the sky Carolina blue.
This means it is time for cozy fall dishes!
One of the fall dishes that Japanese love is "matsutake" mushroom rice. The matsutake mushroom, Tricholoma matsutake, is native to Japan and typically grow wild in Japan, China, and Korea. It literally means pine mushroom because it grows in pine forests. However, it is a threatened species in Japan because of habitat loss and nematode attacks.
And, it is expensive! Japan is known for some insane fruit and vegetable prices, and matsutake is no exception. On average, Japanese matsutake costs over $200 per 1kg (2.2 pounds). If we can taste just one time in the season, we feel it is a lucky year! It tastes great with amazing aroma (it is different from how truffle smells). And the prices are going up due to changing environments (e.g. less rain and high temperature), loss habitat, and the spread of the pinewood nematodes. I found the Youtube video, describing the recent changes in the matsutake production and harvest in Japan.
We need to develop the efficient IPM protocols to save the mushroom so that you can taste it when you visit Japan!!!
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