Matsutake Gohan (Wild Pine Mushroom Rice) 松茸ご飯

The most popular and well-known matsutake mushroom recipe in Japan is probably matsutake gohan (松茸ご飯), or seasoned mixed rice with wild pine mushrooms. Matsutake have a flavor and essence often compared to French truffles.

During my research, I became curious about the differences between truffles and mushrooms. It turns out that truffles and mushrooms are both fungi, but mushrooms grow above ground and truffles grow underground. Isn’t it interesting?

What are Matsutake?

Matsutake (matsu = pine + take = mushrooms) is a Japanese delicacy highly prized for its distinct aromatic scent and depth of flavor. Wild Japanese matsutake mushrooms are hard to find in Japan, and the prices reflect this. The high-quality ones can cost up to $1,000 per pound and the exotic ones run $2,000.

In North America, wild matsutake are found in the Pacific Northwest of the US. Luckily, we can find US-grown matsutake in the local Japanese supermarket for about $40 per pound. Living up to its reputation, the aroma and flavor this mushroom offers is simply amazing.

Ingredients to Make Matsutake Gohan

Pine mushroom rice is a type of takikomi gohan (seasoned mixed rice) made with common Japanese condiments:

• matsutake
• Japanese short-grain rice
• dashi (Japanese soup stock) — you can use Awase Dashi made with bonito flakes and kombu, Vegan Dashi made with shiitake mushrooms, or a dashi packet or dashi powder
• soy sauce
• sake
• mirin
• mitsuba — for garnish

How to Make Matsutake Gohan

This delicious rice dish is actually quite simple to make in a rice cooker. If you don’t have one, you can use a pot over the stove, Instant Pot, or donabe.

1. Wash and drain the rice in a sieve. For more detailed instructions on rinsing and washing Japanese short grain rice, see my post on How to Make Japanese Rice.
2. Prepare the matsutake. Trim the ends and clean off the dirt with a damp paper towel or kitchen towel. When you clean matsutake, do not wash them so you preserve the flavor of the mushrooms. Slice lengthwise.
3. Layer the ingredients in the inner pot of a rice cooker. Add the well-drained rice, followed by the dashi broth and seasonings. Scatter the sliced matsutake on top; do not mix. Let the rice soak in the liquid for 15–30 minutes.
4. Cook the rice. Mix gently and serve with chopped mitsuba for garnish.

Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram.