Shadowing Practice: Why Matsutake Mushrooms Are So Expensive | So Expensive - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Every year, Gihei Fujara goes into the mountains hunting for this — a Masutake mushroom.
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If the harvest is low, wholesale Masutake can cost over $500 per kilogram.
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And over the past 70 years, Japan's harvest has declined by over 95 percent.
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Now the mushroom's future is unclear.
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So what makes these mushrooms so expensive?
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And why have they almost disappeared?
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Matsutake can't exist without trees.
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They grow connected to the roots of red pine trees in a symbiotic relationship.
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Matsutake grow in several countries, including China and South Korea.
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But Japan's fetch the highest price.
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In 2021, the season's first Matsutake were auctioned off for over $7 ,000.
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They're harvested once a year, from around September to November.
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But because the domestic harvest in Japan has plummeted, the price is volatile.
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Unlike other prized foods, it's not a problem of over -harvesting.
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It's a problem of changing habitat.
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Matsutake can't be grown on farms.
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They have to be foraged by hand.
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But foraging is no easy task.
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Gihie Fujara has been foraging Matsutake for over 60 years.
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There's a lot of anticipation leading up to each harvest season.
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Yeah.
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Gihei forages from dawn till dusk, returning home around midday to empty out his baskets.
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Even for someone with his experience, it can be hard to predict the quality of a harvest.
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Even with a good harvest, these mushrooms are difficult to find.
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They blend in with the forest floor and often don't grow at the base of a tree.
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Knowing where to look is a result of decades of foraging on this mountain.
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I feel like it's a good day to go to the beach.
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It's a good day here.
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It's a good day to go to the beach.
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I'm going to go to the mountain and I'm going to do things like that.
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I'm going to go to the beach
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and I'm going to go to the beach and I'm going to go to the beach.
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I'm still going to use it.
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It's exhausting work.
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But today Gihei is rewarded, filling several baskets each trip.
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But his work isn't over when the harvest ends.
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In the off -season, Gihei goes back to the mountain and tries to cultivate Matsutake. or do a trimakaki.
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Gihei also tries to spread the spores of Matsutake to help them grow.
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But cultivating Matsutake this way takes around five years, and success isn't guaranteed.
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Even though this year was a big harvest, the long -term trend is in decline.
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In 1953, Japan harvested around 6400 metric tons of Matsutake.
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But in 2019, it harvested only 14 metric tons.
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One of the biggest reasons for this decline is a change in how forests are maintained.
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and the trees were all gathered and gathered up to the trees.
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And then the Matsu -take grew up and grew up.
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Matsutake also grows best with red pine trees that are a few decades old.
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But over the past century, an invasive pest called Pinewood Nematode has been hurting the growth of red pine trees throughout Japan pan.
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Without the trees, Masutake won't be able to survive.
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The mushrooms also need ample rainfall and cool temperatures early in the season.
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All of these factors create a delicate balance for Masutake.
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Harvests vary widely each year, which causes big changes in price.
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In 2018, prices were 20 to 50 percent lower than the year before because of a good harvest.
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But in 2019, when there was a period of dry weather, prices almost doubled, reaching over $800 per kilogram in some parts of Japan.
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Today, Japan imports over 90 % of its Masutaki from places like
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China and South Korea.
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In 2019, only around 14 of the 1 ,000 metric tons consumed were harvested domestically.
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Imported Matsutake are more affordable compared to the ones grown in Japan.
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But some people consider these mushrooms to be less fresh and not as flavorful.
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Matsutake with a closed cap are often considered to be the most valuable.
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But different sizes are used in different types of dishes.
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A full course meal at this inn costs around $130.
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This season is one of the most fun things we can do in this season.
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I think it's a fun idea to make a fun idea.
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For Japanese people, it's a贅 of Masutake in the summer, but everyone wants to eat it once again.
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Due to the declining harvest, Masutake mushrooms were listed as vulnerable in 2020.
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But the species isn't gone yet.
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But if its growth and environment aren't sustained, this legendary mushroom likely won't get cheaper anytime soon.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “Why Matsutake Mushrooms Are So Expensive”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: Matsutake, harvest, tree, mushroom, Masutake. This video has 67 sentences and 740 words to shadow. The speech runs for 7:47. The speaker talks slowly, about 95 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. Only 77% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| harvest noun | /ˈhɑɹ.vəst/ | The process of gathering the ripened crop; harvesting. |
| mushroom noun | /ˈmʌʃˌɹuːm/ | Any of the fleshy fruiting bodies of fungi typically produced above ground on soil or on their food sources (such as decaying wood). |
| decline verb | /dɪˈklaɪn/ | To move downwards, to fall, to drop. |
| ton noun | /tʌn/ | The short ton of 2000 pounds (about 907 kg), 20 hundredweights of 100 pounds avoirdupois each. |
| pine noun | /paɪn/ | Any coniferous tree of the genus Pinus. |
| metric adjective | /ˈmɛt.ɹɪk/ | Of or relating to the metric system of measurement. |
| gather verb | /ˈɡæðɚ/ | To collect normally separate things. |
| import noun | /ˈɪm.pɔɹt/ | Something brought in from an exterior source, especially for sale or trade. |
| basket noun | /ˈbæskɪt/ | A lightweight woven container, generally round, open at the top, and tapering toward the bottom. |
| meal noun | /ˈmiːl/ | Food that is prepared and eaten, usually at a specific time, and usually in a comparatively large quantity. |
| compare verb | /kəmˈpɛɚ/ | To assess the similarities and differences between two or more things [“to compare X with Y”]. Having made the comparison of X with Y, one might have found it… |
| guarantee noun | /ˌɡæɹ.ənˈtiː/ | Anything that assures a certain outcome. |
| connect verb | /kəˈnɛkt/ | To join (to another object): to attach, or to be intended to attach or capable of attaching, to another object. |
| reward noun | /ɹɪˈwɔɹd/ | Something of value given in return for an act. |
| auction noun | /ˈɔkʃən/ | A public event where goods or property are sold to the highest bidder. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| grow up verb | To mature and become an adult. |
| go back to verb | To stem from; to originate in. |
| lead up to verb | To set in motion; to act as a causal or preparatory event or sequence of events. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | has been foraging · has been hurting |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | were auctioned · can't be grown · be foraged |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | has declined · has plummeted |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 16 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, isn't, can't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: mushroom /ˈmʌʃˌɹuːm/, auction /ˈɔkʃən/, dish /dɪʃ/, anticipation /ænˌtɪs.əˈpeɪ.ʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: legendary /ˈlɛd͡ʒ.ənˌdɛɹ.i/, affordable /əˈfɔɹ.də.bəl/, anticipation /ænˌtɪs.əˈpeɪ.ʃən/, symbiotic /ˌsɪm.baɪˈɑt.ɪk/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like harvest, mushroom, decline.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.