Matsutake (Pine) Mushrooms
The matsutake (pine) mushroom is one of the most sought after and revered mushrooms in Canada. Every year hundreds of pickers scour the forests of B.C. looking for this mushroom. Fresh, they are often packed up and shipped to Japan, where eager chefs will spend a great deal for choice specimens. Dried matsutake are sometimes eaten in Japan like potato chips. The aroma and flavour are sweet and woodsy. Some people are able to pick out a slight pine scent from the forest floor where they grow. In some recipes they take on the taste of seafood. Ground into small flakes, matsutake make an excellent rub for barbecued chicken.