Mountainous, subtropical Yunnan is arguably the world's richest wild-mushroom larder, its summer monsoon feeding hundreds of edible species sold in vast seasonal markets. It is a leading exporter of matsutake (much of it to Japan) and porcini, and home to dishes built around 'jian shou qing' boletes and many fungi found nowhere else. The diversity also brings risk: Yunnan records frequent wild-mushroom poisonings each season, a reminder that abundance demands expertise.
Summer rainy season (June–September) is the great flush.