A taste of Pu'er mushrooms

Updated: 2015-06-26 ( chinadaily.com.cn )

The city of Pu'er in Southwest China's Yunnan province is home to the unique climatic conditions that make it perfect for growing mushrooms. Statistics show that there are 310 species of mushrooms in Pu'er, including 62 species of edible mushrooms and 24 species of medicinal mushrooms.

 

Porcini Mushroom

Porcini is also known as boletus edulis and grows in forest areas at an altitude of between 900 to 2,200 meters above sea level. Those local to Pu'er enjoy eating porcini, not only because of its taste but also because it is rich in protein.

Yunnan started to export porcini to Western Europe as early as 1923.

Wild porcini in Yunnan province [Photo/kunming.cn]

Pine Mushroom

The pine mushroom is a type of wild Matsutake that only grows in pine forests. The pine mushroom comes in the form of two colors: either a dark brown or a yellow color. Due to their spicy aromatic taste and declining harvests in recent years, Matsutake command a high price.

Wild pine mushrooms from Yunnan province. [Photo/kunming.cn]

Edited by Jacob Hooson