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Must-See Art and Cultural Hotspots in Japan

Art Festivals & Events

Mushrooms, Mold, and Sake: Food Culture Created by Japanese Nature and People

Introducing the diversity and characteristics of the mushrooms that the Japanese eat, as well as unique aspects of Japan’s food culture such as the use of fungi. Also highlighting a variety of foods—sake, miso, soy sauce, etc.—created by using highly developed molds, especially koji mold, to meet the exacting Japanese palate.

Matsutake Mushrooms: The most popular mushroom among the Japanese, but many people in the West dislike the smell.
Hanaiguchi (Suillus grevillei). This mushroom with very slimy cap is especially popular in Nagano area in Japan. Mushrooms with such slimy texture are often disliked in other cultures.
Rhizopogon sp. (cross section). One of a few truffle-like mushrooms traditionally used in Japanese cuisine. Rhizopogon spp. are rarely used in Europe and America for food.
Morels (Morchella spp.). Morels growing during spring are one of the favorite in Europe, but they rarely appear in Japanese cuisine.