The Land

Under coniferous forests around the world grows an edible mushroom commonly known as the matsutake species complex, which groups about 10 closely related species within the genus Tricholoma.

The genus Tricholma is recognized for its symbiotic relationship with pines, firs, and spruces, as its mycorrhizal association with these trees allows for an exchange of nutrients and water, leading to their healthy growth.

Thus, these species can be found in most coniferous forests around the world, especially those with acidic, well-drained soils and particularly those dominated by pine timber.

Endemic to Mexico, Tricholoma mesoamericanum is a species prized worldwide for its distinctive aroma and firm texture. This Mexican species was formally described in 2017, after being misidentified as Tricholoma magnivelare. 

The Process

T. mesoamericanum grows wild in the mountain forests of the Sierra de Juárez, at an altitude of between 2,000 and 3,000 meters.

Each fall, a network of Zapotec communities harvests this delicacy, while also promoting local ecological education and encouraging responsible collecting methods for both local consumption and export.

Zapotecs have their own system for regulating forest use, including mushroom harvesting. Their harvesting practices include quotas for harvesters, defined rotational harvesting zones, as well as restrictions on destructive harvesting methods.

The collected mushrooms are carefully cleaned with a brush or soft cloth, to remove dirt and debris without damaging the delicate tissues.

Fresh mushrooms are usually sold on auctions where prices are comparable to those collected in Canada or the United States in order to support a fair remuneration and balance the economic benefit with the long-term conservation of woodlands.

The Product

T. mesoamericanum is unique to Mexico, and is known to be less scaly, browns with age, and has white, non-staining gills; while Eurasian species tend to be more scaly, and has gills that may spot with age.

Mexican species have a slender stem that may develop as much as 20 cm in top, with a cap that ranges from 5 to fifteen cm in diameter. The cap is often convex or flat, with a cinnamon to reddish-brown colour and a textured floor. Underneath the cap, the gills are white, and the spore print is cream-colored. The stem is often thick and fibrous, with a white or pale brown look.

Those attributes are largely due to the volcanic soils located at high altitudes, where the largest extension of Mexican coniferous forests is found.