Matsutake mushroom and chopped cilantro just before being made into a soup.

This recipe for matsutake soup from the Kunming Hotel, Kunming, China, demonstrates how one can, as a cook, step back and let the mushroom speak for itself. There are mushrooms that need us, the cook, to exert ourselves on their behalf — but many of the greatest mushrooms are best handled the least and this is certainly true of the great pine mushroom (Tricholoma matsuke). In Yunnan the mushroom is called sunron. It combines a rare package of a sweet odor, delicate taste, crisp texture, and beautiful shape. No oil is used in this soup — and it is the opinion of the Kunming Hotel chefs that oil must never be used with matsutake because, in their opinion, oil smothers the pine flavor of the mushroom. Thus, at the heart of this recipe is an approach to the matstuake that says – let the mushroom reveal itself through its own breath. The stock for this soup is lightly salted water in which the mushroom is boiled and at the last minute joined by cilantro.

A related matsutake—Tricholoma magnivelare — grows in North America. Its cap is browner than Tricholma matsutake, but it is also a fine mushroom.

Ingredients: Water, salt, matsutake mushrooms, thinly sliced, and cilantro, coarsely shopped. For each portion of soup include a moderate handful of mushrooms and a small handful of cilantro.

Instructions Make a stock of lightly salted water by adding a little salt, tasting, adding a little more, tasting until you are pleased with the taste. Then add a little white pepper.

Add thinly sliced matsutake and bring to a rolling boil. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes at a full boil. Add rough chopped cilantro. As soon as the cilantro wilts remove from the heat and serve.