Factory workers sort and slice fresh matsutake mushrooms in Zhongdian, northern Yunnan. Prized by Japanese food lovers, when stocks were wiped out by
Factory workers sort and slice fresh matsutake mushrooms in Zhongdian, northern Yunnan. Prized by Japanese food lovers, when stocks were wiped out by an insect plague 15 years ago, the market looked to Yunnan. The province now supplies more than half of Japan's yearly consumption, employing more than 80% of Zhongdian's population. For the locals, matsutake madness was a revolution, increasing meager annual incomes by more than 100%. Known as "old eagle mushrooms", matsutake never rated highly with the Tibetan's culinary delights, selling at the market for 1-2 RMB a kilo ($). They now fetch up to $500 a kilo. But Zhongdian's newfound wealth has come at a price; villages traditionally sharing land rights now fiercely compete over access to matsutake stocks, spurring violence and even murder in recent years. Matsutake changes hands approximately seven times before reaching Japan; fresh mushrooms less than 36 hours after they have left the ground.
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