Matsutake Mushroom Festival
About Matsutake Mushroom Festival
A two-day culinary festival in a remote village where Bhutan's prized Matsutake mushroom grows wild. Travelers join the morning harvest in the pine forest, then a traditional Bhutanese cooking session using the fresh mushrooms.
Highlights
- Morning matsutake hunt in pine forest
- Cooking class using fresh matsutake
- Village lunch under a canopy
- Tshampa (barley-flour) cultural session
Why attend
One of only a handful of foodie festivals in Bhutan. Matsutake sells for $200+/kg in Japan — Genekha is one of the few places in the world it grows wild.
Planning tips
- 2-hour drive from Thimphu
- Wear waterproof boots (monsoon-ish)
- Small — about 100 international attendees
Related festival experiences
Paro Tsechu — annual mask dance festival
5-day religious festival with masked cham dances and the unveiling of a giant silk thangka.
Thimphu Tshechu festival
3-day mask-dance festival in the capital — biggest in terms of audience.