Although the coming of a new season is often marked by changes in weather and scenery, it's always been food that defines the seasons for me, and fall is my favorite season.

When I was a kid in Michigan, fall meant apple cider and donuts. My tastes have matured since then (although I still have a soft spot for those two things), and the past few falls have been spent looking forward to the arrival of matsutake mushrooms.

These mushrooms are highly prized in Japan for their pine-like scent and delicate flavor. Along with a number of other mushroom varieties, they also happen to grow very well in the Pacific Northwest.

According to Patrice Benson, president of the Puget Sound Mycological Society, there are two main categories of mushrooms: "wild" mushrooms, which can only be found in the wild, and "exotic" mushrooms, which can be cultivated but are more unusual than the ubiquitous button mushroom.

Among the wild mushroom varieties are matsutake, porcinis and chantrelles. Because these types cannot be cultivated, they are found in certain areas because they can only grow around certain trees to which their mycelium connects.

Exotic mushrooms, on the other hand, can be cultivated and are often available in grocery stores. This includes mushrooms such as oyster, shiitake and maitake. As they are liable to the whims of the season, the wild varieties can be a little harder to find, but Benson says a good place to look would be Whole Foods or the U-District Farmer's Market.

Even out of season, dried mushrooms are a good substitute, although their flavor tends to be more concentrated and intense than fresh ones. Some mushrooms, like shiitakes, are actually more highly prized dried than fresh, because the flavor is very different.

If you're feeling adventurous and want to look outside the grocery store for mushrooms, many can be found in the wilds of Seattle. The Puget Sound Mycological Society offers mushroom hunting excursions, as well as info on mushroom hunting on its Web site.

There are lots of different kinds of mushrooms, and it can seem daunting trying to figure out how to cook them, but their earthy flavor and unique texture goes well with many dishes. UW libraries have a good selection of books on both eating and cooking mushrooms. Benson recommends taking a look at Wild Mushrooms by Cynthia Nims and Don Barnett.

Reach Intermission columnist Jeremy Konick at jeremykonick@thedaily.washington.edu.