Why Does Shangri-La Grow the Best Matsutake Mushrooms?
▲ Beneath its ordinary and rough exterior lies the soul of Shangri-La. Photo by Zhu Mengfei
"The finest ingredients often require the simplest cooking methods."
▲ Without much seasoning, pan-fried matsutake slices are enough to conquer countless taste buds. Photo/VCG
In the documentary *A Bite of China*, this insightful introduction helped matsutake mushrooms successfully "break into the mainstream" and become widely known in China. Today, matsutake is almost synonymous with high-end ingredients.
Not long ago, a 900-gram "Matsutake King" was sold for 8,600 yuan in Kunming, Yunnan—nearly 10 yuan per gram. In Shangri-La, a special auction for matsutake once again刷新ed people's perception of "luxury": a pair of premium-grade matsutake mushrooms was auctioned for an astonishing 250,000 yuan.
▲ The 900-gram "Matsutake King" comes with a hefty price tag. Photo/VCG
From an obscure wild mushroom to the "King of Mushrooms," "Shangri-La Matsutake" has made a remarkable turnaround in just a few decades, emerging from the mountains to conquer the world and delight the discerning palates of countless gourmets.
What kind of magic does matsutake possess?
Compared to other Yunnan mushrooms like green-head mushrooms, termitomyces, and ganbajun, the name "matsutake" sounds more elegant and charming. It is named for its resemblance to deer antlers, as both its cap and stem are covered with fibrous, hairy scales.
▲ Matsutake may look "dirty" on the outside, but it has a pure white interior. Photo by Zhu Mengfei
As a mycorrhizal fungus, the most common host of matsutake is the red pine. Its rarity stems primarily from its extremely demanding growth environment. On one hand, it can only grow in undisturbed,原始 sparse forests, symbiotically with pine or oak trees aged between 50 and 70 years, surviving by absorbing certain sugars from the tree roots.
On the other hand, the specific symbiotic relationship between pine trees and matsutake remains unclear to this day. Thus, it is impossible to artificially replicate the environment of pine and oak tree roots or produce the sugars necessary for matsutake growth. As a result, matsutake cannot be cultivated artificially—this has become its most distinctive feature.
▲ The birth of every matsutake is a miracle of nature. Photo by Zhu Mengfei
Additionally, the harvesting period for matsutake is extremely short. The entire growth process, from mycelium to mycorrhiza, takes five to six years. However, it only takes seven days from emerging from the soil to maturity. The golden window for harvesting perfect matsutake is just three days. If not picked in time, the mushroom quickly ages and decays, disappearing after releasing hundreds of millions of spores.
Of course, the reason matsutake is cherished and adored lies in its irreplicable, complex, and unique taste.
▲ Unopened matsutake has the best texture and is the most expensive. Photo by Gan Yu Huluan
Matsutake has a strong, distinctive aroma, seemingly a blend of pine, rose, lavender, and licorice. When lightly grilled, it releases a deep mineral fragrance brought out by the heat, leaving an endless aftertaste.
▲ Charcoal-grilled matsutake, the most primitive cooking method, can maximize its original flavor. Photo by Gan Yu Huluan
The "umami" of matsutake is极致, a flavor that cannot be replicated by any seasoning. Studies show its umami intensity is 40 times that of MSG. Whether used in soups or paired with meat, matsutake can elevate ordinary dishes to a new level of freshness.
▲ Fragrant matsutake rice, grilled matsutake, and matsutake soup. Fig.1 photo by Zhu Mengfei; Fig.2 & 3 photos by Gan Yu Huluan
Such rare and precious mushrooms naturally have very few places of origin. It is no exaggeration to say that matsutake mushrooms are a touchstone for a region's ecological environment. In the southwestern border of China, there is one place that can withstand the "rigorous tests" of matsutake—Shangri-La.
▲ In 2001, Zhongdian County was renamed Shangri-La, giving a tangible location to the long-cherished "paradise on earth" that countless people yearn for. Map by Tian Dongyu.
Everyone knows that Shangri-La is the "earthly paradise" dreamed of by countless people both in China and abroad. In reality, it is also the "beloved home" where matsutake mushrooms thrive.
At the southeastern foothills of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the originally east-west running mountains suddenly turn southward. This is the Hengduan Mountains. Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture and its capital, Shangri-La City, are located in its heart. North-south mountain ranges stretch out one after another, "cutting across" to create a new world.
▲ The winding, thousand-mile Hengduan Mountains. Image/VCG.
Rivers originating from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau flow south, rushing fiercely through narrow mountain gorges and leaving behind many treacherous rapids and waterfalls, along with the spectacular sight of the "Three Parallel Rivers." Numerous towering mountains embrace vast alpine meadows, where lakes glisten like mirrors, wild flowers bloom profusely, and cattle and sheep graze leisurely.
Matsutake mushrooms thrive in high-altitude, low-temperature environments. This is precisely the "City of Snow Mountains," where majestic, continuous snow-capped peaks are sometimes shrouded in mist and clouds, and at other times bathed in golden sunlight. Between the snow mountains, glaciers meander and undulate.
▲ The primeval forests of the Shangri-La region. Image/VCG.
It is in such a world, in such soil, that the small matsutake mushrooms are nurtured and grow.
▲ A matsutake mushroom emerging from the soil in the primeval forest. Image by Mei Jin.
The significant elevation differences in the Shangri-La region result in a typical vertical distribution of climate and terrain—from deep valleys to mountain peaks, plant zones range from subtropical to frigid. The sparse primeval forests, composed of spruce, fir, red birch, red pine, and oak trees, provide the ideal environment for matsutake growth.
▲ For humans, matsutake mushrooms are a gift from nature. Image/VCG.
Shangri-La's superior ecological environment does not mean it is uninhabited. On the contrary, people are also part of "Shangri-La." In the Tibetan Buddhist scriptures, the depiction of the blissful paradise—the Kingdom of Shambhala—reflects the image of this sacred snowy land.
Today, ethnic minorities such as Tibetans, Lisu, Naxi, Bai, and Yi live and thrive here. Various cultures, including matriarchal culture, Tibetan Buddhism, the Ancient Tea Horse Road, Khampa culture, and Tusi culture, intertwine. Solemn and majestic religious structures like lamaseries, nunneries, mosques, Catholic churches, and Taoist temples can be seen everywhere. The harmonious coexistence of humans and nature is the true spirit of Shangri-La.
▲ Local villagers returning from harvesting matsutake mushrooms. Photo by Gan Yu Huluan.
The name "Shangri-La" seems to have always held a magical allure. While snow-capped mountains, grasslands, lakes, and canyons can be found all over the world, only this borderland where Yunnan, Sichuan, and Tibet meet lives up to the ideal of a tranquil dwelling place cherished by countless people, both in China and abroad.
The preferences of matsutake mushrooms seem to align with human tastes. While places like Chuxiong, Dali, and Lijiang in Yunnan also have natural conditions suitable for matsutake growth, Shangri-La's lower temperatures and thinner air cause the mushrooms to grow more slowly. This allows for greater accumulation of flavor compounds, such as matsutakeol and methyl cinnamate, resulting in superior nutritional content and taste.
▲ Matsutake mushrooms are mainly distributed in the Hengduan Mountains of southwestern China and the Changbai Mountains of northeastern China. Map by Sun Lu.
The only market in China named after a single species of fungus, the Shangri-La Wild Mushroom (Matsutake) Trading Market, is located here. It is also the largest wild matsutake trading market in Asia. The British author James Hilton, who first mentioned "Shangri-La" in his novel *Lost Horizon*, likely never imagined that a century later, people would travel from afar not only to marvel at the breathtaking scenery but also to go crazy for this seemingly unremarkable ingredient.
For a long time, the Chinese were not particularly enthusiastic about eating matsutake mushrooms, primarily due to their scarcity and the difficulties in transportation. Although matsutake were recorded in Chen Renyu's *Treatise on Fungi* from the Southern Song Dynasty and Li Shizhen's *Compendium of Materia Medica* from the Ming Dynasty, that was essentially the extent of it.
▲ Matsutake mushrooms being sorted and packed into boxes. Photo/VCG
For a long time when Shangri-La was still called "Zhongdian," matsutake mushrooms were considered miscellaneous fungi by locals, who disdained eating them and didn't even have a formal name for them. When encountered, they were simply called "stinky termite mushrooms" and tossed into a pot to be stewed with other wild mushrooms.
▲ Adding matsutake to soup enhances its freshness and flavor. Photo/VCG
Japan is the country that loves matsutake the most. Since ancient times, matsutake has been regarded as a mountain delicacy and one of the tributes offered by common people to the imperial family. Autumn outings to pick matsutake are equivalent to spring cherry blossom viewing parties. Matsutake is also a popular subject in poetry:
"Tall pine ridges narrow, mushroom caps stand; the forest brims with the fragrance of autumn." —Manyoshu
Due to changes in Japan's ecological environment, domestic matsutake production is very low. Since the 1980s, China has become Japan's largest source of imported matsutake. The "search for Shangri-La" trend that swept through Europe and America reached Japan, and the Japanese were delighted to discover that "Shangri-La matsutake" has a more plant-based freshness compared to matsutake from Northeast China, the Korean Peninsula, and Japan itself. Thus, the reputation of Shangri-La matsutake was established.
▲ After being harvested, matsutake mushrooms must be quickly cleaned, processed, sorted, and packaged. Photo/Ganyuhulan
In 1999, Diqing Zhongdian Airport, later renamed Diqing Shangri-La Airport, officially opened. With improved transportation and rising consumption levels, matsutake gradually became known to Chinese people, and demand for it has increased year by year. Today, China has become the largest consumer market for Shangri-La matsutake.
The birth of every matsutake mushroom is a miracle of creation, and its journey from harvest to dining tables across countless households is also a miracle of modern market operations.
▲ Matsutake is a taste of Shangri-La that can be savored. Photo/VCG
Every year from July to October is the season when matsutake mushrooms emerge. Harvesting matsutake, known locally as "picking mushrooms," involves villagers staying in the mountains during this period. Even then, they must wake up at 4 or 5 a.m. and walk 2 to 3 hours into the deep mountains to forage. Matsutake mushrooms hide under pine needles and rarely reveal themselves; only experienced Tibetan people know the locations of previous mushroom patches and beds.
▲ Matsutake mushrooms are delicate, so they must be harvested with great care. Photo/Duofu
Metal tools should not be used to harvest matsutake, as metal contact can alter their fragrance. Instead, a small wooden stick is used to gently lift the base of the mushroom. Using a wooden stick helps keep the matsutake intact and avoids damaging the mycelium.
Harvested matsutake must be carefully wrapped in leaves as soon as possible to retain moisture and freshness. After picking, the mushroom bed should be covered and filled back in to protect the mycelium, allowing it to be harvested again the following rainy season.
▲ Frozen matsutake slices for export. Photo/Ganyuhulan
If freshly harvested matsutake are not pre-cooled and packaged immediately, they are highly prone to spoilage. Shangri-La has developed a comprehensive matsutake trading and transportation system—inspecting and sorting, vacuum pre-cooling to reduce the temperature to 2 degrees Celsius, then maintaining a constant temperature for layered packaging in保鲜库 (freshness storage), and adding ice packs. The entire transportation process is completed under a cold chain system to preserve freshness as much as possible. Boxes of packaged matsutake travel on "special flights" to dining tables around the world.
Thanks to the development of express logistics and e-commerce platforms, the domestic market for matsutake has grown significantly. E-commerce has become an important platform driving the matsutake industry. During Pinduoduo's Agricultural Products Festival's "Billions in Subsidies," a pound of matsutake shipped directly from the origin costs only around 200 yuan. What was once considered an expensive delicacy can now easily "fly" onto the dining tables of ordinary households.
▲ Shangri-La matsutake has moved online, allowing more people to taste the flavor of the mountain wilderness in season. Photo/Meijin
Shangri-La is not a "lost horizon." Wherever there is enchanting scenery and a tranquil life, there is Shangri-La.
The advent of the digital age has allowed fine foods from remote border regions to reach ordinary people thousands of miles away. Shangri-La is not only before our eyes or in our camera lenses—it is also on the dining table, a pure land that can be savored through taste.
Give a "thumbs-up" to "Divine Fungus of the Snowy Mountains"!