Yangzom Drolma searches for matsutake mushrooms in the pine forest. (Photo/CCGTN)
Tibetan forager Yangzom Drolma gets up early in the morning to hunt for one of the most precious mushrooms in the world, the matsutake mushroom, also known as the pin mushroom. The Shangri-La forest in southwest China's Yunnan Province is home to the best matsutake mushroom.
Popular but rare, matsutake mushrooms only grow in old forests where there is plenty of clean air and minimal pollution. Drolma goes to the mountain at 5 a.m. to get a head start on her competitors. The mushroom fetches a good price at the market, and if she gets there first, she gets the best pick of the lot.
Matsutake mushrooms grow forest floor and are often concealed under fallen leaves and branches, so a keen eye is needed to find the fragrant delicacy. Only trees over 50 years old can form a symbiotic relationship with the matsutake.
The mushroom has to get enough rain and sunshine before it forms its fruit body and pushes out of the soil. Temperature fluctuations, bug infestations or an improper harvest can damage its hyphae.
