This month's fungus and its relatives are among the most sought after and prized mushrooms in the world, especially in Japan and Korea. It is a delicious edible mushroom, unlike any other you can find and eat. However, its attraction is not the flavor per se, but the amazing aroma that is emitted by the mushroom. The aroma is nearly impossible to describe; most people describe as somewhat fruity, but spicy, but also stinky. It's a very complex odor that people in the know describe as smelling like...well,... a matsutake. The unopened buttons may sell for as much as US$100 in Japan and Korea. Wholesale/retail prices range from US$100-$600 per pound or US $220- $ 1000 per kilogram, depending on the abundance of the mushroom in any particular year. I have eaten this mushroom and it is indeed delicious. Unlike cooking other mushrooms, I was told to broil it for a few minutes on each side, adding a bit of rice wine and/or soy sauce either before or after broiling. It's an incredible and complex flavor you won't ever forget-- even though you won't be able to adequately describe it to anyone. I have seen Korean and Japanese people react to seeing and smelling this fungus-- it's almost a quasi-religious experience for them.