Chinese 'matsutake' sales implode

Chinese imports of "matsutake" mushrooms, a highly valued autumn delicacy, are a rare sight on supermarket shelves in Japan this fall as consumers shun Chinese products in the wake of a series of food safety scandals.

Imported "matsutake" mushrooms are displayed on the shelf of a Tokyo department store. Although China has been dominating the low-end matsutake market, it is giving way to supplies from other countries due to concerns about the safety of Chinese food. KYODO PHOTO

Canadian and some Swedish mushrooms are replacing those from China, which had previously dominated the Japanese market.

Leading supermarket chain Ito-Yokado Co. said matsutake imported from Canada are now filling its shelves.

The chain, which sold Chinese mushrooms in previous years, said it has not decided yet whether to carry them this year.

The Canadian mushrooms are priced about the same as those from China, currently offered at ¥1,380 for 90 grams, or a box containing two or three mushrooms.

An official who preferred to remain anonymous at a major supermarket chain that still handles matsutake from China complained that "sales are half what they used to be due to concerns about food products from China."

A wholesaler at Tokyo's Ota Market, the nation's largest fruit and vegetable market, said the volume of Chinese imports dropped about 40 percent in August from a year earlier.

Japan's imports of matsutake have steadily declined over the past few years due to a drop in production after residual pesticides exceeding the safety level were discovered in 2002. Sanctions imposed on North Korea after last year's missile and nuclear tests have blocked imports of matsutake from that country.

To make up for the dropoff, some stores have started to sell mushrooms imported from Sweden. Hankyu Department Stores Inc. said the Swedish products have proved popular, selling out quickly.

A further disappointment for consumers looking forward to the autumn delicacy will be a price hike of the already costly homegrown version, with a single mushroom expected to fetch more than ¥10,000 this fall, according to a major department store chain.

Homegrown matsutake, cherished for their delicate aroma, have suffered sluggish growth this year. The cause is believed to be the sizzling heat wave in August.

Possibly because of the heat wave, the mushrooms have hit the market late. The volume when they finally make it to stores in late September is probably going to be down, a wholesaler warned.

A floor manager of Matsuya Co.'s Ginza store said a box of four relatively large mushrooms that sold for about ¥30,000 last year may cost ¥50,000 this season.