They will be served to customers staying overnight in the local ryokan
Eight matsutake mushrooms, among the most prized in Japanese cuisine, were sold for the impressive sum of 850 thousand yen, equivalent to 4,850 euros during the first seasonal auction of the city market of Tambasasayama, in Hyogo prefecture.
The record sale, driven in part by the traditional “congratulations rates” reserved for the first autumn harvest, was achieved by the famous Kinmata ryokan, known for refined Japanese cuisine rooted in local tradition. The opening auction arrived six days earlier than last year, with the mushrooms offered for sale still in the bud stage, and ranging in length from 6.5 to 11 centimetres. The lot, with a total weight of 263.5 grams, was the heaviest among the first seasonal harvests recorded since 2018, the year in which the market was inaugurated, local media reported. The auctioneer and director of the Tambasasayama market, Tomoharu Iseki, is optimistic in this regard, according to which the season promises to be abundant thanks to the rains that fell after the summer festival of Obon, in mid-August, with the soil in the mountains having maintained a good level of humidity, ideal for this variety of mushrooms.
Although matsutake are usually sold for between 100,000 and 150,000 yen per kilo, equivalent to an average value of 700 euros, the value of the first harvest soared during the auction, with the auctioneer quickly raising bids as the opening bell rang.
Noritsugu Yoshimura, executive chef at Kinmata, said with satisfaction: “We serve matsutake from all over Japan, but the ones grown here stand out for their intense aroma and flavor.” The ryokan plans to serve grilled mushrooms to overnight guests.
