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Locals picking matsutake mushrooms in the forest

Food and rural festivals

Matsutake Festival

Taste the Flavours of the Forest

Enquire about this festival

Location

Bumthang and Thimphu region

Season

Summer (August)

Dates

Confirmed annually with our team

A freshly picked matsutake mushroom

Matsutake Festival

Taste the Flavours of the Forest

Bhutan’s forests are an important part of rural life, providing food, medicine and livelihoods.

The annual Matsutake Mushroom Festival celebrates one of Bhutan’s most prized forest foods. Matsutake mushrooms, known locally as Sangay Shamu, are associated with areas such as Ura in Bumthang and Genekha near Thimphu. Bhutan Tourism notes that Genekha hosts its mushroom festival in August, while Ura traditionally celebrates around the same period.

At the festival

Visitors can discover

  • Local mushroom traditions
  • Forest foraging
  • Bhutanese cuisine
  • Rural communities
  • Local products
  • Traditional music and performances

For food lovers

For food lovers, this is a unique way to experience Bhutan. Explore Bumthang and Thimphu.

Festival dates follow the Bhutanese calendar and change from year to year. Please confirm the current dates with our team before you plan your journey.

Walk into the forest. Taste the mountains. Discover the traditions behind Bhutanese food.

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