matsutake
noun
mat·su·ta·ke
ˌmät-su̇-ˈtä-kē 
-kā
plural matsutake also matsutakes
: a large brownish edible Japanese mushroom (Tricholoma matsutake) having firm flesh and a spicy aroma
also
: a large whitish mushroom (Tricholoma magnivelere synonym Armillaria ponderosa) of northern North America that is similar to the Japanese matsutake
Examples of matsutake in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
For years, China has been one of the world’s largest suppliers of a rare delicacy — the matsutake mushroom.
—
Lyric Li, Washington Post, 23 Aug. 2022
The little white mushroom isn’t valuable, but exports of other fungi, including matsutake and porcinis, are a major source of income for Yunnan’s native people; fears of barium poisoning could hurt the region’s economy.
—Jennifer Abbasi, Discover Magazine, 7 Aug. 2013
Yunnan province, the matsutake is sold for about $70 a pound — still much cheaper than most Japanese varieties, though prices have doubled in the past 12 months.
—Lyric Li, Washington Post, 23 Aug. 2022
Her 2014 feature debut, The Last Season, follows two former soldiers who forage matsutake mushrooms in Oregon and earned her a Film Independent Spirit Award nomination.
—Katherine Cusumano, Outside Online, 15 July 2022
But the standout at Brady Ishiwata Williams’s new restaurant is his chawanmushi—silky and savory, perfectly set, and crowned with matsutake slices.
—Ali Francis, Bon Appétit, 30 Dec. 2021
Aromatically, this wine is earthy, with scents of dark plums, matsutake mushrooms, and wild roses.
—oregonlive, 9 Apr. 2020
The new restaurant’s name, Matsu, was inspired by matsutake mushrooms, which are pine mushrooms that are native to Japan but grow wild in Southern California forests.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Aug. 2019
In the Cascade Mountains, porcinis (aka king boletes) and matsutakes (aka pine mushroom) are poking up earlier than normal too.
—oregonlive.com, 11 Aug. 2019
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Lyric Li, Washington Post, 23 Aug. 2022
The little white mushroom isn’t valuable, but exports of other fungi, including matsutake and porcinis, are a major source of income for Yunnan’s native people; fears of barium poisoning could hurt the region’s economy.
—Jennifer Abbasi, Discover Magazine, 7 Aug. 2013
Yunnan province, the matsutake is sold for about $70 a pound — still much cheaper than most Japanese varieties, though prices have doubled in the past 12 months.
—Lyric Li, Washington Post, 23 Aug. 2022
Her 2014 feature debut, The Last Season, follows two former soldiers who forage matsutake mushrooms in Oregon and earned her a Film Independent Spirit Award nomination.
—Katherine Cusumano, Outside Online, 15 July 2022
But the standout at Brady Ishiwata Williams’s new restaurant is his chawanmushi—silky and savory, perfectly set, and crowned with matsutake slices.
—Ali Francis, Bon Appétit, 30 Dec. 2021
Aromatically, this wine is earthy, with scents of dark plums, matsutake mushrooms, and wild roses.
—oregonlive, 9 Apr. 2020
The new restaurant’s name, Matsu, was inspired by matsutake mushrooms, which are pine mushrooms that are native to Japan but grow wild in Southern California forests.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Aug. 2019
In the Cascade Mountains, porcinis (aka king boletes) and matsutakes (aka pine mushroom) are poking up earlier than normal too.
—oregonlive.com, 11 Aug. 2019
Cite this Entry
“Matsutake.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/matsutake. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
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