every year gihei fujara goes into the
mountains hunting for this masutaki
mushroom if the harvest is low wholesale
masutaki can cost over 500 per kilogram
unlike other prized foods it's not a
problem of over harvesting it's a
problem of changing habitats
but over the past century an invasive
pest called pinewood nematode has been
hurting the growth of red pine trees
throughout japan without the trees
masutaki won't be able to survive the
mushrooms also need ample rainfall and
cool temperatures early in the season
all of these factors create a delicate
balance for masutaki matsutake with a
closed cap are often considered to be
the most valuable but different sizes
are used in different types of dishes
today japan imports over 90 of its
masutaki from places like china and
south korea