The Business of Korea's Most Expensive Mushrooms - Vendors

In this episode of ‘Vendors,’ we follow expert forager Yang Hee Kim, who sets out to one of only 50 locations in Korea where valuable Yangyang pine mushrooms can grow. The luxurious fungi cannot be artificially cultivated, and can only be picked for 30 days out of the year, making them extremely valuable.
Credits:
Producer: Carla Francescutti
Director/Producer: Nadia Cho
Camera: Gerald Lee, Tim Han
Subtitles: Vicky Won
Editor: Carla Francescutti
Executive Producer: Stephen Pelletteri
Development Producer: McGraw Wolfman
Supervising Producer: Stefania Orrù
Audience Development Manager: Terri Ciccone
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For more episodes of 'Vendors,' click here: trib.al/L7IuWAa
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[@anonymous-ws7pb]

I like how the ladies father was just waking around the mountain. Just like “oh hi dad” and he was just like “oh you guys are here too?” and then went on like nothing was going on.

[@deenzmartin6695]

he was ALOOF AS BALLS.

[@taotzu1339]

He didn't want to show the young'ums his secret stash.

[@mr.mushroom8543]

@@deenzmartin6695 nah just more "chill" than anything

[@milwaukeebrewers6337]

@@taotzu1339 the shrooms

[@pizazazaza]

I just came back for her voice and such wonderful tone. She sounds really enthusiastic and cheerful.

[@gamingnooblet]

"it's a chunky mushroom" had me laughing my ass off for way longer than it should have xD

[@spilot1016]

Koreans tend to find the oddest adjectives to describe food lol

[@hilee7390]

This natural mushroom (Tricholoma Magnivelare) is very expensive because of the unique scent from Mushrooms themselves. If that mushroom is grown in the Pine tree and pick it and emit a strong Pine scent or rosin scent when you smell it. It's called Pine-mushroom(松蕈) or Pine-spawn(松菌). When you put that mushroom in soup or porridge, a fragrant smell stains in foods. Especially, it's normally used as an ingredient in "kettle steamed(土甁蒸)" course meals of Japanese sushi omakase.

[@BarryMikokinju]

Thank you!

[@aysmch622]

i knew it this was matsutake! so yangyang is the korean languange of matsutake

[@estergrant6713]

“pine mushroom stick” *is just a regular stick* lol

[@stms4331]

1 bite = mouthfull scent of a pine tree no joking, it's better than a truffle for my personal preferrence

[@philipfriis-mller4855]

Love that the locations of the mushrooms are a total secret to outsiders, that probably makes them even more expensive 🍄

[@funkdahmental]

Dont wanna give away your secret locations. Thats lost money

[@FoodBD]

Wow. Excellent documentary.

[@DrBrunoRecipes]

Lovely 👌🏻 Greetings from Scotland 😊 Have a wonderful day everyone 🌻

[@williamnguyen8350]

You can tell she loves her job.

[@seanheller3335]

The secrecy around finding them reminds me of hunting for morels here in the states. Gotta be really good buddies or family to get someone to tell you their morel spot, and even then sometimes it's not enough. Shame most people around here just deep fry them, wish people explored the culinary prospects of morels more around here.

[@NZ75er]

Love these vids. Keep bringing us the goods

[@John-ed2wj]

Watched fantastic fungi on Netflix the other day, truly amazing

[@eemorn]

Matsutake Mushrooms

[@hustlaz2k]

love how she laugh...most respect to hardworking ajumma...

[@2pizza753]

imagine you went to walk, and then they send you to prison for 7 years

[@jimmyf1446]

🤣🤣🤣 went for a walk, came back 7 years later.

[@2pizza753]

@@jimmyf1446 LMAO

[@fourdoorsmorehoes]

i mean theres such a thing as intent as well, you wouldn't be sent to prison if you did it by mistake

[@MrBobogoa]

@@2pizza753 tbf, it's not like other places are much better when it comes to trespass, there are laws in certain american states I think where you can shoot people simply for trespassing

[@2pizza753]

@@MrBobogoa thank god in Russia u can go walk whre u wnt

[@pinstripeowl]

Great video! Good to see produce respected

[@martinedell4504]

Xanax, oxy, addy, percocet, without prescription Check out our website at www.bestonlinedrugshop.com and get overnight delivery within 24 hours

[@tamalpias]

I have done this here in north eastern California. I love matsutake mushrooms stir fried in butter.

[@ito2789]

Awesome and insightful video! Anybody know the song in the beginning of the video?

[@carysfaerie]

Fantastic

[@irvin9arcia]

Respect! Would love to try these mushrooms!

[@TheChefmike66]

So very cool, and interesting to me.

[@jonathandevries2828]

Cool!

[@jamestl9301]

The one she calls an imposter pine mushroom looks like one of our edible mushroom that we forage for every year. Very potent umami, delicious 😆

[@lordeverybody872]

Those are deadly

[@alifr4088]

Mushroom Sus

[@DJ-sn2wn]

great thumbnail

[@dudubam88]

오우 자연송이

[@VVVVVVV707]

I also always bring a big bag with big expectations

[@wantury]

송이라면이라니… 굉장하네요;_;

[@Dylan_Otto]

So are pine mushrooms the same as matsutake, or is matsutake just a Japanese variant/species of pine mushroom?

[@tinykass]

I was wondering this too! I just watched a video on the japanese matsutake, and I'm assuming they're the same, but idk! Following this thread to see :)

[@savorykitchen_1103]

Matsu マツ mean pine and when a japanese word that is related to mushroon tends to end in takeタケ(means bamboo), like shitake. Pine mushrooms grow both in Korea and Japan. Most of hight quality pine mushrooms in Korea is exported to Japan

[@balochistanitechsupport3996]

them pople who smile and laugh a lot r gods true peeps ........

[@thetravelinsagittarian1316]

She's so cool! I wonder what these mushrooms taste like? I'm curious. 😋🍽️

[@fourdoorsmorehoes]

they grow in many places like the USA as well, so you could probably try them, depending on where you live

[@giuhbyih6493]

Wow

[@toy4tao]

BRB gonna go grow some mushroom 🍄

[@aaron2236]

yangyang sounds cute

[@qxezwcs]

Matsutake mushroom.. expensive but very refine taste

[@mattpelofske4632]

These look more like the brown matsutaki than the white does anyone know if it is the brown species? I've picked both here where I live but didn't realize the brown was worth so much money I knew the white was

[@therealshaft9768]

Wonder if I had some pine mushroom mycelium and inoculated pine tree roots here in Pa if they would grow and spread naturally here? I know Pa is the largest mushroom producer in the states and our climate allows a lot of the same Asian fungi to grow here naturally

[@lordeverybody872]

No. You need a nutrient poor pulverized limestone/granite and sand soil to grow them. They do not grow on the pine tree. The mycelium grows in the same conditions as the pine. They are found throughout north america. More abundant on the west coast. Pennsylvania has a less than hospitable temperature range for the delicious morsels. A majority of the harvest here is sold to japan. I've had the pleasure to have pine mushroom and ramen. She is right, delicious.

[@truepatriot223]

I would not be surprised if there are a few spots in PA where you could find these growing. Higher elevation areas with high hemlock concentration may have some. And if they are not growing in those areas, then it may be possible to successfully inoculate those areas. It's not the absolute best climate for them, but I think you could still get some results. Allegheny Natl Forest looks good. Also possibly some areas in the northeast like Plunketts Creek Twp. I'm in southern NH and have many great Matsu spots nearby.

[@georgemartin8336]

We pick these in the Pacific Northwest of Canada, British Columbia.

[@superior1959]

Vancouver???

[@majoroldladyakamom6948]

Ditto, Western Washington.

[@georgemartin8336]

@@superior1959 15 hours northwest of Vancouver

[@superior1959]

@@georgemartin8336 alright

[@user-rh3to9cu4x]

Are these the Matsutake mushrooms that are popular in Japan?

[@robertbrindley8948]

I want to smell it too!!!

[@ceylonfoodlover5547]

😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍

[@northerners2828]

Its look like mushroom. 😃

[@samsneeze]

Around early 2000s, these were commanding upwards of $500 per pound wholesale from the pacific northwest. Stretching from California to Washington. This was before China came onto the scene I think, has since nosedived considerably.

[@jun8569]

Yeah but the Chinese ones are of poorer quality.

[@mothaybabonnam5632]

Well goddamn now i want some pine mushroom too

[@weishiue2159]

You can get the same kind of mushrooms in the forest south of Mt Rainier national park. In November vendors will set up tents in Randle to buy and sell mushrooms.

[@rosswoodie]

these grow in my backyard, in northern BC

[@garrethg6268]

You should harvest and sell them to fine dining places... Catch a good profit and probably u might just buy up the forest so you can keep harvesting

[@deenzmartin6695]

i want to sample this glorious fungus.

[@stevenlam2149]

The texture looks so much like meat

[@MessyTimes]

I am now hungry for pine mushrooms in ramen. Very much so.

[@kfan4658]

F*ck ramen its ramyeon bro

[@wagnerwei]

👍😋

[@PrimordialWisdom]

In the end, magic mushrooms rule.

[@iteungwelah]

I've seen people just tap on the mushroom with paper towel and not wash it so i assume they shouldn't be washed? But I guess you can after all

[@igbatious]

I depends on the mushroom. Ones with kind of tighter skin can be washed, like criminis, white buttons. But more looser fleshed, like oyster, chanterelles, etc will get water logged right away if washed.

[@iteungwelah]

@@igbatious will it change the taste? I was referring to the kind in the video btw

[@igbatious]

@@iteungwelah never had these pine mushrooms, I think these pine mushrooms are similar in makeup as matsutakes, or even porcinis. When I had matsutakes, it was mostly brushing off dirt with a paper towel, and a quick wash. When cooked, it caramelized beautifully and just delicious. When waterlogged, it will not caramelize. So a quick wash is probably fine.

[@badfoody]

I could've been a forager

[@user-ip7sg9eo4n]

한반도에는 송이버섯이 많이 나는데 시간이 지나면 색이 변하고 독성을 띠게 된다.독버섯이 만들어 지는데 우선 나는 먹을수 있는 답을 들었지만 조만간 더 생각하여 답을 풀 생각.....

[@BrianZoebisch]

A very good take on the foraging of these but Pine mushrooms have been long sought after - there are documentaries going on at least 10/15 years old now addressing the culture - people are murdered in the pursuit of these

[@Freuclid]

"they have the same nutritional value and taste"... luxury and status i guess. hell of a drug.

[@lordeverybody872]

If ate a pine mushroom, you would change your tune.

[@ProfX501]

@@lordeverybody872 They are talking about the different grades mentioned in the video… it’s a direct quote

[@LordOrdnance]

Is that matsutake, right?

[@tupbup2666]

yes

[@colin4685]

The rare dogs in the other room?

[@naruto33445566]

expensive mushrooms and she cooks it with instant noodles hahahahahaha

[@YT-dg9qs]

was wondering where I heard this name recently since I don't really know mushrooms much then I remembered jin gifted a huge box of these to jimin from Mount jiri

[@spilot1016]

Korea is a unique blend of medieval mindset and modern technologies. It's a tug of war of many elements but it works, for the most part.

[@kongkongpatpat]

뭔 채널이길래 계속 한국 내용이 나오는건가요 한국 채널은 아닌거 같은데... 궁금하네요

[@user-hh5kh8jl4d]

Eater는 외국 음식 문화같은거 많이 다루는 채널인데 요즘 부쩍 한국거 많이 다뤄줘서 좋네요

[@syhwang5396]

담당PD가 한국사람임 (Nadia Cho)

[@kongkongpatpat]

@@syhwang5396 아 그런거군요?!?!

[@user-ip7sg9eo4n]

그렇군 송이가 독버섯으로 변하고 이를 체취하지 않으면 박달나무가 자라기 시작함.그러면서 송이 농장이 바뀜. 고사리가 자라기 시각함. 이제 송이를 좀 씨게 먹겠네.

[@user-by7ht3gm3z]

ㅋ

[@mayhem88]

Sweet lady

[@dvxAznxvb]

Imagine these harvesters figuring out that there’s an abundance of pine trees in America

[@fourdoorsmorehoes]

they grow in the USA as well, they used to sell for up to $500 per pound, but then China started flooding the market with their pine mushrooms and the price fell

[@user-ip7sg9eo4n]

천남성.

[@user-ip7sg9eo4n]

다이노소어의 유생이 렉터 임, 그래서 송이도 특성이 비슷함. 독을 품는 특성이 만들어 짐.

[@wFukq]

First

[@fieldmarshall1019]

The first

[@satriawan13]

It is matsutake isn't it?

[@fourdoorsmorehoes]

yes

[@Lord_Baphomet_]

0:55 you can go to prison for 7 years for trespassing?!?!?! My god don’t you think that’s a little harsh???

[@davisluong2060]

Nope considering how valuable and expensive this product is for their economy. Also trespassing as another reason.

[@MrRCS-wq5bt]

Up to 7 years.

[@fourdoorsmorehoes]

yeah, if you trespass with intent to steal, they would not send you to prison if you did it by accident

[@StepOne]

property rights protected by the law with stiff punishment for trespassers. imagine crimes had huge fines tied to them? no wonder crime is so low in south korea...

[@superior1959]

I’ll be completely honest I’ve tried that mushroom before (Didn’t taste good) maybe because I don’t like mushroom

[@neerajnongmaithem392]

Yup cannot taste good if you don't like mushroom. Same goes with everything in life

[@superior1959]

@@neerajnongmaithem392 I like some mushrooms but most I dislike

[@neerajnongmaithem392]

@@superior1959 ohh and that's natural, not all mushrooms taste the same and you might like a certain taste

[@superior1959]

@@neerajnongmaithem392 yeah i guess

[@silvsilvsilv]

Bruh 7 years of prison for "entering someone's mountain"? Honestly the more I learn about South Korea, the more it seems like a dystopian capitalist hellhole.

[@xHarmonious]

let me guess, you got all south korean "knowledge" from youtube videos, squid game, and parasite...

[@ibec69]

Man, these guys just have to copy everything Japan does.

[@jxz107]

These mushrooms literally grow in other parts of Asia and historically have been eaten elsewhere. But no, only when glorious Nippon jumps on the trend it becomes "theirs." #weeblogic

[@Poop-bn1eg]

Call them what they are, matsutake mushrooms. I know everything Korea has been exploding, but Korea considered these mushrooms inedible for centuries. It’s interesting to see them try and pretend that Japan isn’t the only reason these mushrooms are valuable.

[@brycen5178]

Agreed.

[@user-ht2js9xx3p]

@Poop I bet you read that on Wikipedia. Wikipedia is not a reliable source, stupid.

[@sentry9119]

Say who? Mushrooms have been eaten by many people around the world ffs. No written records about matsutake that pre-dates 19th century from Japan.

[@mpark9481]

You are incorrect. Tthere was a scholar, literary critic, poet, and writer of the Koryo period named Yi Gyubo, who lived from 1168 to 1241, and who wrote a poem about how good is the pine mushroom. This fact indicates that knowledge of the mushroom and culture of eating them was present in Korea during that time. Additionally, it is true that Korea exported pine mushrooms to Japan, but this was not because they were not aware of their value. Rather, it was more profitable to sell them in Japan due to the higher prices offered there. It should be noted that Korea used to be less economically developed than Japan, but that does not mean that the Korean people were not knowledgeable about the pine mushroom. Furthermore, the pine mushroom can also be found in North America, specifically in the USA and Canada, and is not exclusively a Japanese mushroom. So why this should be called by Japanese name? 😂

[@sandeepsmatharu]

Korea > Japan

[@iwontbebeat7111]

It's copy of Japanese matsutake mushroom 🍄

[@user-ht2js9xx3p]

Japan invented mushrooms? 🤣

[@sentry9119]

Says weeboo.

[@user-zv8el2fd9o]

No, it just grows in different places. Koreans loved pine mushroom from many centuries ago (the oldest record dated back to 704 AD, saying the kings enjoyed it)

[@keith2056]

What a surprise some sort of grading system for a food item. Like it's a mushroom lol there shouldn't be a grading system for a mushroom 🤣 leave it to the Japanese to the figure out how to jack up the price 🤑

[@FridgeOper8tor]

Wrong nationality m8 haha

[@neerajnongmaithem392]

Most food have got a grading system. Prime example would be the beef that is consumed in most parts of the world. Now you wont argue that a tough piece of meat with no fat would taste better than a more tender and fatty piece. Grading helps the consumer to pick the right product according to their preference and budget. Without grading bad products can be sold as good products and at a higher price, now not all consumers are masters who can define what's good or not.

[@davisluong2060]

You mean Korean?

[@yurilee9515]

Is it so hard to read' Korea' from the title of the video..

[@jxz107]

@@yurilee9515 If he thinks having grading systems for food is weird then he's probably already too dumb/uncultured to tell apart the two anyways.