I know that you like me to keep you up to speed with what is happening internationally in the mushroom world. So, hot off the press, I can tell you that the Arctic Flavours Association in Finland has just voted the Matsutake mushroom as its mushroom of the year.
The Matsutake is a difficult wild mushroom to cultivate. Whilst it grows in dry forests it needs a rainy summer to prosper.
Apparently there is something of a foraging frenzy in Finland at the moment after a surge in numbers thanks to the awful summer that Finland has endured. And, because the Matsusake is highly prized - and highly priced - in Japan, pickers are experiencing something of a cash bonanza.
Each of the mushrooms flown to Japan receives special treatment and care. They must not be cut with a knife: the mushrooms are picked individually and whole, with gloved hands, to prevent the surface of the Matsutake being contaminated with oil from human skin. Finally, toothbrushes are used to clean the fungi, which must reach the Japanese kitchen within three days of being picked in the north of Finland.
I'm sure you feel better for having this information
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