Yunnan wild mushrooms favored by Chinese consumers

Entering the rainy season since June, Yunnan sees wild edible mushrooms hitting the market. Chinese foodies travel to Yunnan to taste them or simply buy them online.

Citizens buy wild edible mushrooms in the market. (Photo by Xinhua)

With increasing popularity among Chinese consumers, Yunnan's wild mushrooms have gradually become a new consumption trend, and the production value has been rising. According to data from the Yunnan Edible Mushroom Industry Upgrading and Development Office, the province produced some 316,100 tons of wild edible mushrooms in 2022, valued at 25.054 billion yuan.

A restaurant in Kunming ushers in some 1,000 customers for the mushrooms every day. "Wild mushrooms have become a must-order dish, and the delicious Niuganjun, porcini mushrooms, is particularly popular," said Zong Dezhi, executive chef of the restaurant.

Yunnan is known as the Kingdom of Wild Mushrooms. With approximately 900 species of wild edible mushrooms, the province houses 90% of the country's total wild mushrooms, serving as the primary source of the rare matsutake and truffles.

The Kunming-based Mushuihua market is the hub for trading edible wild mushrooms in Yunnan. According to Zhai Zhanshi, head of the market department, the market is visited by 20,000 daily, with a trading volume of 200 tons.

An improved logistics system also ensures freshness of wild mushrooms. Li Qingpei, deputy head of northwest Yunnan’s Diqing Tibetan autonomous prefecture, said Diqing has partnered with "SF Express" to operate dedicated cargo planes for matsutake transportation since 2021. Diqing is a top produce of Yunnan wild mushrooms, and its matsutakes can be air-freighted to over 60 Chinese cities in 24 hours and to 200 cities nationwide within 48 hours.

Source: Xinhua; trans-editing by Wang Yunya