For mushroom lovers, if late-May denotes the arrival of summer truffles, then now is the start of the Matsutake (pine mushrooms) season. Matsutake is so named because it grows in Japanese red pine forests. It is dark brown in colour, with a meaty stem, and can measure up to 25cm in height and width. The Asian variety is the most fragrant, and is grown mostly in Japan, China and Korea.

Matsutake should never be washed or severely trimmed; just a wipe with a damp cloth, and the removal of the very bottom of the stems would suffice. The mushrooms should be sliced thickly, and cooked briefly. The Japanese steam, grill, or fry the mushrooms. Or they can be placed in sukiyaki or deep-fried in tempura batter.

There is a Japanese saying that Matsutake mushrooms are more sought after than gold. At their best, at the beginning of the season, they can fetch more than HK$15,000 per kg.

The Yunnan version from China is less pricey, but it is good enough. I had a bowl of soup with Chinese matsutake recently, and the dense meaty texture, and the wholesome nutty flavour of the mushrooms whisked me to heaven.

FF