Marie-Louise Carlsson holds one of the day's finds.
Close to the barren ground in the pine forest, there's a light brown mushroom with an umbrella-shaped hat. It doesn't look like much, but it is one of the world's most expensive edible mushrooms.
– Here we have the matsutake, says mushroom picker Marie-Louise Carlsson.
It can be recognized by its umbrella-shaped hat and its sweet scent.
– The whole forest smells of matsutake, says her husband, sticking his nose in the air.
From the other side of the globe, mushroom tourists have started arriving in the forests of northern Sweden. The mushroom has been part of Japanese food culture for over 1,000 years.
– When they look like a penis, that's when they are the most expensive.
There are many mushrooms in this forest, but some of the more noticeable ones don't have the right smell.
– The collared mushroom looks very similar. It is edible, but not very good.
She carefully plucks a mushroom from the ground. It has the right sweet smell.
– We were among the first to pick matsutake here. At the time, we weren't sure if it was the same variety as in Japan. But I had a friend who lived in Japan, so I sent her five kilos of the mushroom.
After that, she received a visit from Japan.
– Then they wanted to come here, and we went to all the forest heaths in Västerbotten to look for the mushroom.
Today her husband leads the search, while Marie-Louise goes around picking.
– Soon it will be too cold to pick. It is usually found in the woods during the moose-hunting season.
It's mid-September and the season for picking matsutake is almost over, says Marie-Louise.
Matsutake is also known as Goliath mushroom. In Sweden it is found almost exclusively in the northern parts of the country.
– There is an increasing awareness of its existence here in Sweden. Somebody might have been here and picked some already.
Her advice to mushroom hunters looking for matsutake is to go to dry and barren pine forests.
– But it is not available every year. Among other things, there has to be the right amount of rain. But there should be still some unexplored spots.
With some big mushrooms in the basket, it's off to their cabin to prepare it.
– It is usually eaten as an appetizer with wasabi and soy.
The mushroom is cut into thin slices and put in the oven. It only needs a few minutes.
The cap is sliced into thin pieces and then placed in the oven for a few minutes. But the stem can also be used.
Then the chopsticks come out and it's time to taste. In Japan, the Matsutake has been part of the culture for over 1,000 years.
In Japan, it is enjoyed ritually and can be compared to how the Swedes eat surströmming and crayfish, according to the Swedish University of Agriculture.
How does it taste then? Well, the soy and wasabi are important complements because the mushroom itself does not have a strong taste. The consistency is a bit rubbery.
On the couple's terrace are kilos of chanterelles ready to be prepared or frozen.
– We pick all kinds of mushrooms, but matsutake is our favourite, says Marie-Louise.
