The annual matsutake festival is held at the picturesque Ura valley in Bumthang in the central part of Bhutan. Matsutake (Tricholoma matsutake), or Sangay Shamu in the local language is a ground fungi and is also known as pine mushroom because it mostly grows under pine trees. This mushroom only grows in abundance in Ura valley.
The annual matsutake festival is held at the picturesque Ura valley in Bumthang in the central part of Bhutan. Ura valley is known for its beautiful valleys and hospitable people inhibiting the valleys. Ura is located at about 50 kilometers from Jakar, the main town in Bumthang district.
Every year since 2008, when the festival was first initiated, hundreds of people including tourists gather at Ura valley to observe the festival. Tourists from all over the world, especially from Japan, come to participate in mushroom picking activity during the annual three-day mushroom festival.
The tourists will learn to identify and how to carefully pick these fabled fungi.Matsutake (Tricholoma matsutake), or Sangay Shamu in the local language is a ground fungi and is also known as pine mushroom because it mostly grows under pine trees. This mushroom only grows in abundance in Ura valley. The mushroom is well-known for its delicious taste and several nutritional values and aphrodisiac properties. The mushroom is also proven to have effective medicinal properties that help in fighting different cancers. The mushroom is also being exported to other countries, particularly to Japan.
Things to do at the festival:
Pick mushrooms:
Visitors can learn to identify matsutake along with other edible mushrooms and get on with their mushroom hunting excursions. While on their journey they can enjoy and explore the pristine woods and the beautiful valley sight. They can also try some matsutake recipes of their own with the mushrooms that they pick.
Sing and dance in Ura:
The visitors can enjoy the festival by engaging in songs and dances performed by the locals. They can also choose to take part in it. The mask dances and songs are all native to the valley.
Rejuvenate:
The tourists can choose to rejuvenate and relax after the exhausting mushroom hunt by taking an open-air mineral bath.
