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Akahatsu

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Akahatsu, Lactarius akahatsu, is a wild milkcap of East Asian pine and mixed forests that is sold in Yunnan markets, with its edibility and identity still needing species-level review.

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Two whole salmon-orange mushrooms and two lengthwise halves display their flesh, gills and stems on a warm ivory background.

What it is

Akahatsu is the Japanese name for Lactarius akahatsu, a milkcap that exudes latex when its flesh is cut. The name is used in Japan and in the catalogue record for this topic, where it is also given as a Chinese common name, chenghongrugu, in a review of edible Lactarius species.

Milkcaps in the genus Lactarius are often separated by latex colour, cap colour and their association with trees, and many are hard to tell apart by sight alone. The consulted sources report that Asian Lactarius specimens have often been named with European and American species names, so the name in a market is not a reliable identification on its own.

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Where it is found and sold

A 2000 survey by Wang Xiang-Hua reports thirteen Lactarius species sold in rural markets of Yunnan Province in China, and it names L. akahatsu Tanaka among them, alongside L. deliciosus, L. deterrimus and L. hatsudake. The survey documents market sale in rural Yunnan; it does not give quantities, prices or prepared dishes.

In Japan the species is described as common in lowland pine forest, where it grows with its tree partners. Its ecology is ectomycorrhizal, so it lives in partnership with tree roots and is gathered from the wild.

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Edibility and what is still open

The consulted review of edible Lactarius species lists L. akahatsu among species said to be edible. That is a statement of reported food use, and the catalogue record for this topic keeps it as a market and specialist record, not a confirmed safety assessment. No source consulted describes how it is prepared, and none gives a safe method for eating it.

The species’ current taxonomy is not settled, the Yunnan market names are not reliably matched to it, and whether local preparation is safe has not been established. A catalogue inclusion or a market record is not a basis for identifying a specimen for eating.

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Places

Yunnan Province

Documented use · Region evidence

The survey records the species among Lactarius sold in rural markets; it does not give quantities or preparations.

See Yunnan Provinceon the mapLocation source 1 →

Japan

Historical attestation · Country evidence

The species is described as common in lowland pine forest in Japan. No Japanese food-use record was consulted.

See Japanon the mapLocation source 1 →

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