(c) torus
今[いま]、日本[にほん]は秋[あき]。いろいろなきのこ(= mushroom)が旬[しゅん] (= in season)です。
It is Autumn in Japan. There are all sorts of mushrooms in season!
日本人[にほんじん]がとても好[す]きなきのこの１つに、まつたけというきのこがあります。しいたけは年中[ねんじゅう] (= all year around)いつでもお店[みせ]で買[か]うことができますが、まつたけは秋[あき]にしか買[か]えません。これは、まつたけを栽培[さいばい]する(= to grow)ことが難[むず]しいからです。まつたけは香[かお]りがとてもよく、おいしいきのこです。上[うえ]の写真[しゃしん]は、少[すこ]し小[ちい]さくて見[み]にくいですけど、まつたけの写真[しゃしん]です。
今年[ことし]はまつたけがとても豊作[ほうさく]で(= harvested a lot)いつもより安[やす]くなっている、と朝日新聞[あさひしんぶん]のニュースで読[よ]みました。この朝日新聞[あさひしんぶん]のページにわりと大[おお]きなまつたけの写真[しゃしん]が出[で]ています。
でも。安[やす]いと言[い]っても400gが10,000～15,000円[えん]だそうです。うう、まつたけは食[た]べたいけど、この値段[ねだん]は…。
One of the most favourite mushrooms for Japanese people is matsutake. The above photo, a bit small though, shows matsutakes. As you know, you can buy shiitake mushrooms all year around, but matsutake is available only in Autumn—this is because it is very difficult (perhaps still impossible?, do not call me on that) to grow matsutake. Matsutake is one of the most fragrant mushrooms and delicious.
I read a report in Asahi Shimbun Newspaper the other day saying that matsutake had been gathered a lot this year (people go into special mountains to hunt matsutakes!) and much cheaper than the usual price. This page of Asahi Shimbun shows a bigger photo of matsutake, if you are interested.
I said it was reported “cheaper,” but it still costs you 10,000-15,000 yen (NZD $160-240) for about 400g. Is it really cheap…