What is the general market price of matsutake mushrooms per jin?
Matsutake is an ectomycorrhizal fungus associated with trees such as pines and oaks, with a unique and intense aroma. It is a rare and precious natural medicinal fungus in the world, a national second-class endangered protected species in China, and is known as the “king of mushrooms”. It is mainly produced in regions such as Shangri-La, Chuxiong and Yanbian. Let us take a look at the market price of matsutake below!
The market price of matsutake mushrooms
The retail price of matsutake ranges from 200-1000 yuan/kg. The price depends on size grade, freshness, appearance and quality, and the prices of dried slices, freeze-dried and frozen matsutake are also different, but fresh matsutake can only be bought from June to October.
How to choose matsutake mushrooms
1. Observe the color: matsutake that has turned yellow may already be spoiled, or sulfite may have been added, which is harmful to the human body.
2. Observe the appearance: you must eat plump, sturdy mushrooms; thin or deformed matsutake cannot provide complete nutrition and is of very poor quality.
3. Check the moisture: some matsutake on the market has been soaked in water. This not only affects the taste, but during the freshness-preservation process, the water will destroy the fibers and active nutrients of fresh matsutake, thereby affecting quality.
Product categories of matsutake
1. Fresh products: fresh products include fresh matsutake and chilled fresh matsutake. Fresh matsutake refers to matsutake that has just been collected, while chilled fresh matsutake refers to fresh matsutake that has undergone various freshness-preservation processing and freezing treatments. Because of differences in technology and processing, the quality of chilled fresh matsutake varies greatly. At present, many matsutake on the market are injected with water, dyed, and mixed with large amounts of young and old mushrooms during processing, so quality is uneven.
2. Dried products: matsutake is sliced and put into drying equipment to be dried, making packaged products that are convenient to carry and store and can be soaked in warm water before eating. The raw material grade of dried products is generally not high, and during processing, if the temperature exceeds 100°C, part of the active nutrients of matsutake will be destroyed. They belong to the mid-to-low-end products in the matsutake product chain.
3. Freeze-dried products: the full name of freeze-dried matsutake is vacuum freeze-dried matsutake. It is a dried matsutake produced from fresh matsutake at -170 degrees using vacuum drying technology, and it can preserve most of the nutrition and flavor of fresh mushrooms.
4. Processed products: in recent years, as market demand has increased day by day, matsutake prices have risen year after year, and deep processing has also surged. Products such as salted goods, matsutake instant granules, canned goods, soy sauce and vinegar have emerged on the market. Research on matsutake health wine has made some progress, and matsutake extract has been widely used in food and beverage production.