In Yunnan’s rainy season, even the air is permeated with the fresh aroma of mushrooms.  

“As soon as the rainy season arrives, all kinds of mushrooms come out, and the air is filled with their scent.” More than 40 years after leaving Kunming, writer Wang Zengqi still couldn’t forget this fresh flavor. Wild mushrooms, affectionately called “junzi” by Yunnan people, are not only a delicacy of the plateau but also a cultural symbol deeply ingrained in the local gene.  

Recognizing Mushrooms and Savoring Flavors: The Wisdom of the Mountains

Yunnan people have long-standing rules for eating mushrooms. The local adage says, “The more beautiful the mushroom, the more toxic it is; don’t eat mushrooms you don’t recognize,” reflects the most genuine reverence for nature. Porcino jizong(termite mushroom), matsutake, “jianshouqing” (suillellus luridus, a type of toxic but edible mushroom when cooked properly)... Behind each name lies a local story.

To protect the generosity of the mountains, many places in Yunnan have implemented the “mountain contracting for mushroom picking” model. In Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture, the right to pick wild mushrooms in collective mountains is contracted to villagers, with unified management and scientific picking, which not only protects the ecology but also promotes income growth. Wild mushroom farm stays have become a bright spot in rural revitalization.

Hidden in the Mountains, Thriving in Farmhouses  

In Shuicheng Village, Chadian Town, Wuding County, every rainy season, mushrooms quietly pop up – some hide under pine needles, some nestle in depressions, as if engaging in a natural game of hide-and-seek with mushroom pickers.

Many tourists, after picking mushrooms, take them directly to the village’s farm stays for processing. “During the busiest time, we receive two to three hundred people a month,” said Zhu Guangneng, the owner of “Zhu Family Courtyard.” After sorting, cleaning, and cooking... the fresh flavor of the mountains turns into delicious dishes on the table. In just one mushroom season, the 11 farm stays in Shuicheng Village can generate approximately 800,000 yuan in revenue.  

A Sri Lankan Mycologist’s Love Affair with Yunnan  

Samantha from Sri Lanka is now a foreign expert at Qujing Normal University. His life has long been intricately linked with wild mushrooms – studying the classification, phylogeny, and domestication of wild mushrooms is his dedicated career.

In high school, the colorful wild mushrooms fascinated him, and he was determined to make this his career. Later, he studied mycology in Thailand, where he met his Thai wife, Tibpromma, who also loves mycology. In 2012, a field trip to Xishuangbanna made him feel the unparalleled diversity of wild mushrooms in Yunnan for the first time. Since then, he has made up his mind: he must return to Yunnan.

In 2016, his wish came true. He and his wife entered the Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, for postdoctoral research. When he first came to Yunnan, he couldn’t speak Chinese, but with his love for mushrooms, he could chat happily with mushroom vendors in the market. He was not only curious about the Chinese names of each type of mushroom but also wanted to know how Yunnan people cook them – and this opened up a brand-new culinary universe for him.

“Foreign mushrooms are often cooked alone, but in Yunnan, people can put more than ten kinds of mushrooms into chicken soup to make hotpot!” Mushroom hotpot has now become an important way for Samantha to connect with his students.

One Mushroom, One Flavor: Yunnan’s Philosophy of Fresh Cooking

Yunnan people value the original flavor of mushrooms highly. Stir-frying and braising are the most classic ways to prepare them.  

Jizong are stir-fried simply with green peppers, resulting in a milky white, sweet, and delicate soup. Porcino(Boletus) is sliced and stir-fried with garlic, green onions, and chili until fragrant – one bite, and the mushroom aroma mixed with the wok’s heat strikes the soul directly.

The humble dried bark mushroom(thelephora ganbajun), though time-consuming to clean, conquers the taste buds with its rich and unique aroma. When used to fry rice, every grain absorbs the essence of the mountains.

And mushroom hotpot can be called the “masterpiece of fresh flavor.” Simmer chicken to make the base, then add eight to ten kinds of mushrooms in sequence, and wait patiently for 20 minutes. Before the time is up, don’t touch the chopsticks – this is the ritual sense Yunnan people have for eating mushrooms. When the pot is opened, first drink the soup, then eat the mushrooms: the plump “jianshouqing,” the tender porcino(boletus), the crisp bamboo fungus(phallus indusiatus)... every bite feels like a gift from nature.  

Visit a Mushroom Market, Experience Yunnan’s Liveliness  

If you can’t go to the mountains yourself, you might as well go to a wild mushroom market to feel the atmosphere. Kunming’s “Mushuihua” Wild Mushroom Trading Center has become a popular check-in spot for young people.  

Every afternoon at three or four o’clock, as soon as the mushroom transport vans stop, they are surrounded by crowds. Experienced buyers act quickly – “I want this basket!” With that, a basket of mountain treasures finds its owner. This is not just a market but a living scene of Yunnan’s rainy season.

Technology Empowers, Realizing “Jianshouqing Freedom”   

Behind the delicious taste, technology is injecting new impetus into the sustainable development of the wild mushroom industry.

In the Kunming Edible Fungi Research Institute of the All-China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives, artificially cultivated “jianshouqing” have grown plump caps. Assistant Researcher Liu Qimeng stated that after years of research, the team has finally successfully cultivated a new variety of “jianshouqing” that can be artificially grown. At present, four enterprises have carried out cooperative cultivation, and in the future, this “mountain treasure” will appear on more people’s tables.

A Bite of Mushroom Aroma, a Lifetime of Yunnan Affection  

Wild mushrooms are not just a seasonal delicacy on Yunnan people’s tables but also a taste bond connecting nature, humanity, and emotions.

Every time the mushroom season comes, sitting around a table with family and friends, watching the bubbling mushroom hotpot, chatting and laughing – that warmth and freshness will eventually settle into the warmest memory of the years.  

Every bite of mushroom conveys gratitude for nature, a love for life, and a cherishing of simple happiness.  

Have you come to Yunnan to eat mushrooms this rainy season?