Yajiang Matsutake

Yajiang Matsutake

Yajiang Matsutake is a geographical indication certification trademark.

　　Yajiang matsutake is a specialty of Yajiang County in Garzê, Sichuan Province.

　　The "Hometown of Matsutake in China" is located in Yajiang County, Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province. Due to its global fame for producing premium matsutake, on August 3, 2013, the China Edible Fungi Association awarded Yajiang County the title of "Hometown of Matsutake in China."

　　China is the world's largest producer and exporter of matsutake, with major production areas in Sichuan, Yunnan, and Jilin. In Sichuan, matsutake are mainly found in 12 counties of the Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, including Yajiang, Kangding, Daocheng, Jiulong, and Danba; 6 counties of the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, such as Xiaojin, Barkam, and Rangtang; and 4 counties of the Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, including Yanbian and Dechang. These regions are concentrated in the high mountain valleys and plateaus along the upper and middle reaches of the Jinsha River, Yalong River, and Dadu River, at elevations of around 3,000–4,500 meters and latitudes between 26°N and 34°N. According to surveys, Sichuan Province has a matsutake reserve of 4,000–7,000 tons. Just within the Garzê Prefecture, the area suitable for matsutake production spans over 46,620 hectares, yielding an average annual output of about 3,200 tons. The main producing counties include Yajiang, Kangding, Jiulong, Litang, Daocheng, Xiangcheng, and Batang, with an annual output of over 300 tons each. Among them, Yajiang matsutake stands out for its high yield, large size, delicate flesh, appealing color, and fragrant taste, making it highly sought after both domestically and internationally. Yajiang harvests over 1,000 tons of matsutake annually, attracting traders from countries like Japan and South Korea who travel great distances to purchase the mushrooms.

　　The Hometown of Matsutake in China—Yajiang—is located in the southern part of the Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, along the middle reaches of the Yalong River and the central section of the Hengduan Mountains in the southeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. It serves as a central hub on China's Shangri-La Cultural Tourism Circuit and on the route of China’s Most Scenic Highway, and is known as the "First Ferry of the Ancient Tea Horse Road." The area features a continental monsoon plateau climate. Yajiang County boasts unique natural, climatic, and geographical conditions ideal for growing matsutake and other edible fungi, producing over 6,000 tons of wild fungi annually, including more than 1,000 tons of high-quality matsutake.

　　Yajiang matsutake is renowned for its large size, tender flesh, attractive color, and delicious aroma, leading the nation in both production and quality. It is primarily found in oak forests and mixed forests of high-altitude pine and oak. The optimal season for matsutake harvesting, trading, and processing is during the three months of July to September each year.

　　In 2014, the application for the geographical indication trademark "Yajiang Matsutake," submitted by the Agricultural Technology Station of the Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Bureau of Yajiang County, Garzê Prefecture, was reviewed and announced by the Trademark Office of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce. This marked the first geographical indication trademark achievement in the prefecture.

　　Yajiang Matsutake

　　Agricultural Technology Station of Yajiang County, Sichuan Province

　　12632799

　　Matsutake (dried edible fungus)