NISHIKI MARKET in Kyoto
I love exploring markets wherever I go, because I think it is the best place to see the locals. We had our lunch there.
Japan guide:
Nishiki Market is a narrow, shopping street, lined by more than one hundred shops. Various kinds of fresh and processed foods including many Kyoto specialties, such as pickles, Japanese sweets, dried food, sushi, and fresh seafood and vegetables are sold.
Known as "Kyoto's Kitchen", Nishiki Market has a history of several centuries, and many stores have been operated by the same families for generations.
The Nishiki Market street runs parallel to Shijo Avenue, one block north of Shijo Avenue. It can be reached on foot in less than 5 minutes from Shijo Station on the Karasuma Subway Line (4 minutes, 200 Yen from Kyoto Station) and Karasuma or Kawaramachi Stations on the Hankyu Line.
We took a bus from Kiyomizudera to Shijo Avenue.
Wikipedia:
松茸（学名：Tricholoma matsutake）是屬於口蘑科口蘑屬下的一種食用蕈類，具有獨特的濃郁香味，在日本被視為食用蕈中的極品，可以說松茸之於日本人就猶如松露之於法國人。
松茸好生於養份不多而且比較乾燥的林地，一般在秋季生成，通常寄生於赤松、偃松、鐵杉、日本鐵杉的根部，也有寄生在黑松根部的例子，但較為少見。日本人稱在非時令的梅雨季節長出的松茸為「早松」（サマツ[1]），價值更高，或作為特級食材，或作為討吉利的象徵。
松茸的稀有不僅是因為其成長速度緩慢，也是因為採集困難。松茸一旦突出地面並張開蕈傘， 其香氣就會大量逸失，吃起來的味道也變差，經濟價值自然大幅滑落。因此，松茸的採集必須在松茸剛露頭的時候就連根挖出，是一項要求高度的觀察力與豐富的經 驗的工作。雖然一直有人嘗試進行商業化的大量裁培，然而迄今仍未有足以量產的成果，所以目前市面上所販賣的松茸幾乎都還是人力上山採集而來的。
Look at the price, JPY98,000!
A shrine at the end of the market. The lantons were donated by the stores owners.
There are some shops selling clothes, but we didn't bother to shop as we were rushing to the Golden Pavilion which is located at the far end of Northern Kyoto.
