Matsutake
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(Photo: Eric Danell)
This project is linked to The Edible Mycorrhizal Mushroom Research Group at SLU, Sweden.
The Swedish matsutake and the Japanese matsutake are the same species! Our DNA-sequencing of rDNA ITS of Swedish matsutake were sent to GenBank to be compared with 3 million sequences. Swedish matsutake had a 99 - 100% match with Japanese and Korean matsutake, based on more than 700 base pairs.
During the 1998 season we conducted an inventory to evaluate the distribution and ecology of Swedish matsutake (Tricholoma nauseosum = T. matsutake). We found that it frequently occurs in Pinus sylvestris woods in the north of Sweden. It is most common in rather open forests on sandy soils with rather thin humus and litter layer. The ground vegetation in such habitats were dominated by lichens (Cladonia spp) but heather (Calluna vulgaris) and lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea) were also present. Matsutake occurs frequently in a zone from Umeå (64°N) up to north of Kiruna (68°N). The most productive areas produced around 200 fruitbodies per hectar. Fruit bodies from these areas were collected by local people, and sent to us for identification. The first matsutake were found in early August but due to early frost the season ended around mid September in the north.
We received two Japanese matsutake fruitbodies from Dr Koji Iwase (Biological Environment Institute KANSO, Kyoto) in mid October. Japanese and Swedish fruitbodies were very similar in morphology, smell and taste. Right now we study the DNA (PCR/RFLP/sequencing of rDNA ITS) of the Swedish and Japanese matsutake to evaluate their relationship. In 1999 we visited Japan. We have serious contacts with several Japanese matsutake importers, the Swedish Embassy in Tokyo and the Japan External Trade Organization in Sweden.
Niclas Bergius now works for the commercial company Matsutake AB. Further details about the SLU research on Swedish matsutake should be addressed to Eric Danell.
This page was created by:
Niclas Bergius