Ya’an Black Tiger’s Paw

Ya’an Black Tiger’s Paw

　　The Black Tiger’s Paw mushroom, scientifically known as Sarcodon imbricatus, is one of the renowned export edible mushrooms. The fungus is thick, robust, and fleshy, with tender meat and abundant extracellular polysaccharides. It is not prone to breakage and is highly nutritious.

　　Ya’an is located in the southern part of Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, along the middle reaches of the Yalong River and the midsection of the Hengduan Mountain Range in the southeastern part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. It is a central hub on China’s Shangri-La Cultural Tourism Circuit and the central stop on China’s Most Beautiful Scenic Highway, and is known as “the First Ferry of the Ancient Tea Horse Road.” It has a continental monsoon plateau climate. Ya’an County offers uniquely favorable natural, climatic, and geographical conditions for the growth of edible fungi such as the Black Tiger’s Paw mushroom.

　　The Black Tiger’s Paw mushroom features a thick, fleshy cap with a strong aroma. When fresh, it is grayish-white or grayish-brown, turning dark grayish-white or grayish-brown when dried. Its shape resembles a tiger’s claw, and its underside is covered with a layer of fine grayish-white spiny fuzz. The stem is thick, often hollow, and slightly off-center. The wild distribution area of the Black Tiger’s Paw is very limited, being produced only in certain regions of southwestern China, making it extremely precious. Historically, the Black Tiger’s Paw has long been regarded as a rare mountain delicacy and was favored as a tribute in various dynasties’ imperial courts. There is no tradition of consuming this mushroom in Europe or America, and the main consumer regions are southwestern China, Japan, and Southeast Asia.