🍄 Yunnan mushroom culture: the taste of the mountains and forests engraved in the genes

“When the rainy season comes, all mushrooms come out, and the air is full of the smell of mushrooms.” – Wang Zengqi

Yunnan people regard wild mushrooms as a gift from nature. Every year from May to October, when the rainy season comes, the whole nation starts a “mushroom picking carnival”. This tradition can be traced back to the Shang Dynasty. The “Yi Zhou Book” records that the ancestors of Yunnan used mushrooms as tribute. Yang Shen of the Ming Dynasty praised the chicken mushroom with “the immortals lived near Huayang Cave and got one or two branches of Qiongying”. Today, the annual output value of wild mushrooms in Yunnan exceeds 16 billion yuan, and they are exported to more than 40 countries. However, the most authentic taste still needs to be found in the mountains and forests.

🌿 Wild Mushroom Kingdom: The Taste Code Gifted by Nature

    • Species Treasure House: There are about 2,500 edible mushrooms in the world, and Yunnan has more than 900 edible wild mushrooms (accounting for 90% of the country and 36% of the world), among which matsutake, truffle, chicken mushroom, dry mushroom and morel are collectively known as the “five major mushroom kings”.

    • Golden production area:
      ▶️ Shangri-La: Matsutake mushrooms are large and fragrant, known as the “hometown of Matsutake mushrooms”
      ▶️ Nanhua County: China’s wild mushroom gourmet county, with more than 290 known edible mushrooms
      ▶️ Yimen County: Held the National Wild Mushroom Trade Fair for 19 consecutive years

🔥 Unique way of eating mushrooms: Unlock the taste magic of Yunnan people

1. The Ultimate Original Flavor

    • Matsutake sashimi: Take 9-12cm unopened matsutake, slice thinly with a ceramic knife, dip in wasabi paste and soy sauce, and enjoy the sweetness of the forest

    • Charcoal grilled: Chicken mushrooms and porcini are grilled directly on the rack, the crispy skin locks in the juice, sprinkle with pepper and salt and serve

2. Strong Fireworks Pie

    • Dried mushroom fried rice: Tear dried mushrooms into pieces and stir-fry over high heat until fragrant, mix with overnight rice and stir-fry, the mushroom fragrance permeates the rice grains

    • Stir-fry until green: After slicing, it oxidizes and turns purple-blue, stir-fry with heavy oil, garlic and chili, crispy, tender, fresh and spicy (⚠️Must be stir-fried thoroughly)

3. Soul Fusion

    • Wild mushroom hotpot: Add porcini mushrooms + blue-headed mushrooms + chicken mushrooms + bamboo fungus to the chicken soup base, boil for 15 minutes, remove the lid, drink the soup first and then dip in the spicy sauce of fermented bean curd

    • Chicken mushroom oil sealing: Tear fresh chicken mushrooms into strips and fry until golden, add pepper and chili and soak in rapeseed oil to make a delicious bomb that can be stored for a year

4. 创新跨界派

    • Morel stewed wagyu: French chef uses Yunnan morel with veal ribs, the mushroom aroma relieves greasiness and enhances freshness

    • Oil-soaked chicken mushroom ciabatta: French bread embedded with oil-soaked chicken mushroom, a combination of local and foreign styles becomes a hit

🎉 Fungus travel fusion experience: in-depth gameplay from the dining table to the mountains

 

Destination Featured Events Experience Highlights
Diqing Matsutake Food Festival (July-August) Go into the mountains with Tibetans to collect mushrooms, live in tents and wait for the “Golden Mountain in the Sun”
Chuxiong Nanhua Wild Mushroom Food Culture Festival (August) 290 kinds of mushrooms to buy at the market, learn how to identify poisonous mushrooms
Yuxi Yimen Fungus Fair (end of July) 183 kinds of wild mushrooms auction, intangible cultural heritage songs and dances accompanied by mushroom banquet
Dali Cangshan mushroom picking private banquet Bai ethnic guide led the way, picking blue mushrooms and frying bacon on the spot

 

⚠️ Guide to safe eating of fungi: the boundary between deliciousness and risk

The iron rule of Yunnan people: “It is better to be blind than to let your mouth collapse” (no matter how greedy you are, you must follow the rules)

    • Three familiarity principles:
      ✅ Know the species (only eat clearly known fungi)
      ✅ Cook thoroughly (cook for 15 minutes after the hot pot boils)
      ✅ Know the route to the hospital (save the nearest hospital phone number)

    • Deadly taboos:
      ❌ Eating a variety of unfamiliar fungi together
      ❌ Drinking (accelerates toxin absorption)
      ❌ High-risk eating methods such as cold salad with green onion

    • Identification of poisonous fungi: Stay away from 24 common poisonous fungi (such as deadly Amanita phalloides and Russula subsparsely), and do not believe rumors such as “garlic test for poison” and “bright colors are poisonous”

 

Emergency plan: If hallucinations or vomiting occur after consumption, induce vomiting immediately, take the remaining bacteria samples to the doctor, and inform the doctor of the name of the bacteria.

🌍 Sustainable mushroom-eating initiative

    • Picking ethics: Use bamboo knives to cut the mushrooms and retain the mycelium; do not pick mushrooms smaller than 5cm

📅 2025 Mushroom Season Event Preview

    • July 15 Diqing Matsutake Harvest Ceremony (Pudacuo National Park)

    • August 8 Nanhua Wild Mushroom Carnival (Long Street Banquet + Torch Festival)

    • September 1 Yimen Mushroom Fair (Hundred Mushroom Auction + Ethnic Songs and Dances)