Matsutake Nutrition Facts: Raw Values, Portions and Forms

    Matsutake nutrition starts with identifying the mushroom and the weight being measured. Japan's official food composition database lists raw Tricholoma matsutake at 32 kcal, 2.0 g protein, 0.6 g fat and 4.7 g dietary fiber per 100 g of edible portion. These are reference values for an uncooked ingredient. They are not the nutrition of a bowl of matsutake rice, a dried mushroom powder or a seasoned frozen pack.

    The word raw describes the database sample; it is not a recommendation to eat mushrooms uncooked. Buy correctly identified edible mushrooms from a reliable source and cook them as directed. A nutrition table also cannot identify a wild mushroom or make an unknown species safe.

    Weigh the edible amount going into your recipe. When comparing products for foodservice or retail, also match the scientific name, processing state and label basis. A small quantity can contribute aroma and texture without being the dish's main source of protein or energy. Judge the complete meal separately from the mushroom ingredient.

Raw matsutake nutrition per 100 g

    The following figures come from MEXT's Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan, eighth revised edition with the 2023 supplement, food number 08034. The entry identifies Tricholoma matsutake and gives values per 100 g edible portion. Keep that identity alongside the numbers when recording them in a recipe file; a copied column headed only "mushrooms" loses information that matters.

    Water makes up most of the fresh mushroom's weight. The table is therefore quite different from an analysis expressed per 100 g of dried material. Protein is present, but a small garnish contributes only a small amount. If you want a meal with a substantial protein component, assess the tofu, beans, eggs, fish or other foods in the dish as well.

    The database has several carbohydrate and protein measures. Total carbohydrate, available carbohydrate and dietary fiber are different entries, not numbers to add indiscriminately. Likewise, protein calculated from amino acids is not the same field as the conventional protein value reproduced here. When two tables disagree, check their column definitions before deciding that one mushroom is nutritionally better.

    Use this selection as a food reference, not a ready-made commercial label. The appropriate nutrient definitions, rounding and declaration basis vary with the market. An importer preparing retail artwork needs a product-specific basis that the destination accepts. Extra decimal places in a spreadsheet do not make a borrowed value more representative of the pack being sold.

Why matsutake is not maitake

    Matsutake and maitake are easy to confuse in English, especially in a quick search. They need separate nutrition records. The reference used here specifically names Tricholoma matsutake. If a search result says "maitake," "hen of the woods" or another mushroom name, stop before copying its vitamin figures into a matsutake recipe.

    Common names are useful on a menu, but a purchasing document benefits from the scientific name as well. A product sold under a broad pine-mushroom description may require a closer identity check. Ask the supplier to connect the name to the specification and lot documentation. Origin, appearance and an appealing photograph alone are an incomplete basis for matching a food composition entry.

    In our mushroom comparisons, we would settle identity before discussing cut size or price. Otherwise a technically tidy comparison can evaluate different ingredients as if they were one. The practical consequence reaches beyond nutrition: the aroma, shape and preparation instructions you expect must belong to the product that actually arrives.

    Different mushrooms also deserve separate culinary tests. The XMSD guide to shiitake nutrition and product forms provides a separate comparison point; its nutrient values should stay attached to shiitake. In a mixed-mushroom dish, record the weight of each ingredient instead of assigning the entire mix the composition of its most prominent name.

    A simple file-naming habit helps. Include the common name, scientific name, raw or processed state, and source version in the ingredient record. Keep the supplier specification beside it. That gives the person calculating a recipe enough context to notice a substitution before the numbers reach a menu or package.

What the nutrients mean in an ordinary meal

    Matsutake can contribute fiber and micronutrients while adding relatively little energy in a modest ingredient portion. Build the rest of the meal around that role. A fragrant mushroom broth might accompany rice, tofu and vegetables; judge the combination for its energy and protein as well as its flavor.

    Niacin, or vitamin B3, helps the body use energy from food and supports normal cell function, as explained by the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. A nutrient's normal role is different from a promise that a particular mushroom will improve concentration, prevent fatigue or treat disease. Eat the mushroom for its place in a balanced diet and for the dish you enjoy, rather than expecting a medicinal effect.

    Selenium also has normal functions in the body, including roles in thyroid function and protection from oxidative damage. NIH notes that selenium in plant foods varies with growing conditions, and intake comes from the whole diet. For a mushroom product, the relevant practical question is whether the figure on your specification actually represents that product. Do not combine a generic food-table value with a supplement dose to design your own treatment plan.

    Published matsutake research covers more than nutrition labels. A 2024 study of ultrasound-assisted polysaccharide extraction examined extracted material and laboratory antioxidant activity. That is a different exposure from eating cooked mushrooms in rice. A laboratory result may help scientists investigate an ingredient; it is not a demonstrated clinical benefit from a serving of dinner. Keep extract marketing separate from ordinary food guidance.

    For everyday use, choose the portion according to the meal and your preferences. Include other vegetables or foods that supply variety, then consider how much oil, salt and sauce the recipe adds. If a clinician has prescribed a diet with particular mineral or other restrictions, use that plan and a product record appropriate to those limits.

Calculate the edible portion before the cooked dish

    A per-100-g table becomes useful when you scale it to what you actually use. Multiply the listed amount by the edible ingredient weight in grams, then divide by 100. Weigh after removing material you will discard. If you weigh an unopened pack, the container and any packing liquid do not automatically belong in the mushroom portion.

    Worked example: Suppose a home cook divides 100 g of cleaned raw matsutake between two bowls of soup. Each bowl receives 50 g before cooking. Using the reference table, the mushroom contribution per bowl is 32 × 50 ÷ 100 = 16 kcal, 2.0 × 50 ÷ 100 = 1.0 g protein, and 4.7 × 50 ÷ 100 = 2.35 g dietary fiber. These are calculated ingredient contributions, not measured values for the finished soup. Add the stock, oil, meat and other ingredients separately.

    If the same 100 g is shared between four bowls, its contribution per bowl halves again. The total mushroom amount in the saucepan has not changed; the number of servings has. This is why a statement about "a serving of matsutake" needs an actual weight. A small decorative slice and a bowl with a generous mushroom portion are not equivalent portions.

    Cooked weight introduces another issue. Water can leave the mushroom, remain in a broth or be added through sauce. You cannot take a raw per-100-g value and apply it unchanged to 100 g of an unspecified cooked dish. For an initial recipe calculation, track the raw edible ingredients and the final batch yield. For a declared label, use the applicable method and evidence for the actual product.

    Keep waste and nutrient calculations separate. Trimming losses change the amount purchased for a recipe; they do not mean the discarded portion was eaten. If a kitchen needs 500 g edible mushroom and its own measured preparation yield is 90%, its illustrative purchase requirement is 500 ÷ 0.90 = approximately 556 g before trimming. That 90% is a hypothetical planning input, not an XMSD yield specification.

    The benefit of this approach is reproducibility. Another cook can repeat the weighing method, and another buyer can see which assumption changed the cost. A casual estimate such as "one pack for ten portions" hides both the pack weight and the actual amount reaching each plate.

Fresh, frozen, dried and seasoned forms need different records

    Start with the form you will buy. Fresh whole mushrooms, plain frozen pieces, dried slices and seasoned preparations solve different kitchen problems. Each format needs an appropriate nutrition record. Added oil, salt, sugar or sauce changes the ingredient list; drying changes the relationship between water and solids.

    For frozen mushrooms, establish whether the product is raw, blanched or otherwise cooked before freezing. Then check whether the declared weight includes glaze or other liquid and what the preparation instructions require.

    Those details decide how the product enters the recipe. Put them beside the ingredient weight in your calculation file so that a change of processing state triggers a review.

    The XMSD frozen mushroom range provides a starting point for comparing available formats. For a matsutake enquiry, we would ask for a species-specific ingredient declaration and processing state alongside a sample, then prepare it in the intended dish. A broad commercial name is insufficient when the nutrition reference names a particular species. A photograph helps you see the shape; the specification and cooking trial tell you how that shape behaves in use.

    With dried mushrooms, compare the dry input weight and the rehydrated weight separately. Do not call a higher nutrient concentration per 100 g dry product a gain created by drying. Removing water concentrates the remaining material by weight. Once water is added again, the serving basis changes. A supplier's rehydration instructions and your own measured yield are more useful than assuming a universal fresh-to-dry ratio.

    Seasoned mushrooms deserve their own recipe record. A sauce can contribute more sodium or energy than the mushroom itself, and a drained product may differ from one served with all its liquid. Read both the ingredient list and the label's serving description. Decide whether your kitchen serves the liquid, drains it or uses it elsewhere, and make the calculation match that practice.

    Comparing alternatives is easiest when the question is explicit: the same edible grams per serving, the same application, and the same preparation endpoint. If you need visible whole pieces, compare their usable count and condition after cooking. If you need evenly distributed slices in rice, consistency of portioning may matter more than whole-mushroom appearance.

Choose the cut and cooking test around the dish

    For a clear soup, rice dish or sauce, define what the mushroom must contribute before setting a size preference. A whole piece can provide a recognizable presentation, while slices distribute through a batch differently. Neither format is automatically superior. A useful sample test answers whether the portion looks right, cooks consistently and fits the service method you will actually use.

    We would judge frozen matsutake in the finished application as well as inspecting its arrival condition. Look for broken pieces and excess loose ice first; then run the actual soup or rice preparation. Record the starting condition, preparation instructions, batch quantity and final yield so that two samples receive a fair comparison.

    Practical example: Suppose a foodservice kitchen plans 40 bowls of mushroom rice and wants an illustrative 20 g mushroom input per bowl. The batch therefore needs 40 × 20 g = 800 g of edible mushroom input. Compare a sliced format with whole pieces that the kitchen must cut. Prepare both using the same rice recipe and service hold, then record visible piece distribution, labor and the number of acceptable portions. Choose the format that achieves the intended bowl consistently; the 800 g calculation sets the test quantity, not a supplier pack size or a nutrition claim.

    For this trial, the rejected outcome might be uneven distribution: some bowls contain several pieces and others contain none. Another failure might be a cut that breaks down too far for the intended presentation. Decide those criteria before tasting, then keep the sample identity and photographs with the kitchen record. That turns a preference into something a receiving team can understand.

    The service hold deserves attention because the dish rarely moves directly from a sample pan to a customer. Repeat the relevant portion of your actual workflow, including portioning and holding under the food safety plan. A sample that looks good immediately after cooking may perform differently by the time the last bowl is served. Use the holding conditions prescribed for your menu and service operation in both trials.

    This is also where foodservice and catering requirements become more useful than a generic premium grade. Explain the recipe, service method and portion target. Those inputs tell a supplier why a cut, inner pack or consistency requirement matters, and they help prevent a visually impressive sample from becoming the wrong ingredient for the kitchen.

Keep identification, hygiene and temperature separate

    Correct identification comes first. Hong Kong's Centre for Food Safety advises obtaining mushrooms from reliable sources, preventing mixtures with unknown species, and washing and cooking edible mushrooms thoroughly. It also explains that poisonous mushroom toxins are not reliably removed by cooking or freezing. An attractive cap or a familiar smell is not a safety test, and photographs are not a substitute for expert identification.

    For purchased frozen product, follow its cooking instructions and your food safety procedures. If the pack gives no clear preparation status, obtain that information before service. Assign responsibility for recording the method in the kitchen recipe so that the next shift uses the same instructions.

    FDA's safe handling guidance recommends keeping refrigerators at 40°F or below, approximately 4°C, and freezers at 0°F or below, approximately -18°C. It advises against thawing food on a kitchen counter. Refrigerator thawing is one safe method; the product instructions may instead specify cooking from frozen. Choose the method appropriate to the actual food, then keep the preparation conditions controlled.

    For a commercial delivery, separate quality observations from evidence about temperature history. Loose ice, clumping or damaged seals are reasons to investigate against the agreed specification. They do not, by themselves, reconstruct the full journey. Record the arrival condition, packaging, lot identity and available temperature records before deciding whether to accept, isolate or reject a disputed shipment.

    Do not taste an uncertain lot to determine its safety. If mushroom poisoning is suspected, seek medical attention promptly. Keep product identification and purchase details available so the source can be traced. In routine purchasing, that same traceability discipline is useful long before a problem arises: the carton, inner bag, specification and supplier record should identify the same product.

Check the pack before approving a nutrition label

    A workable label starts with a coherent product record. Match the name and species, ingredients, processing state, net quantity, portion basis and nutrition evidence. If one document describes raw mushrooms and another describes a cooked seasoned preparation, resolve the mismatch before comparing values. The difference may be perfectly legitimate, but it belongs in separate records.

    FDA's label-reading guidance explains why serving size matters: the nutrient amounts normally relate to the stated serving, and eating a different quantity changes the intake. For a buyer comparing two packs, convert them to the same basis first. A smaller declared serving can make a sodium or calorie figure look lower even when the product is similar per gram.

    For our own review, we would keep a clear distinction between a reference database calculation and a supplier's analysis of the offered product. Request the basis, date and product identity behind a nutrient statement. If it is laboratory data, check what sample was analyzed. If it is calculated, check that the recipe, ingredient records and yield correspond to the version being sold.

    Packaging supports that consistency through identification and protection. In a discussion about frozen-food packaging, focus on the inner pack your operation will open, the information printed on it and how unused stock will remain identified. A carton label alone is less helpful once its bags are distributed to several kitchens or storage locations.

    An inspection machine or a neat carton is useful operational context, but neither proves the nutrient composition of a mushroom lot. Keep those forms of evidence in their proper roles. Product identity, preparation instructions and a defensible nutrition basis make the table usable; sample performance and receiving checks make the ingredient workable in the dish.

References

• MEXT: Raw matsutake, food number 08034
• NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Niacin
• NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Selenium
• Xu and colleagues, 2024: Matsutake polysaccharide extraction and analysis
• Hong Kong Centre for Food Safety: Wild mushrooms and toxins, August 2026
• FDA: Safe Food Handling
• FDA: Understanding and using the Nutrition Facts label