Truffles: exclusive mushrooms or the “white diamond” of cooking

Having studied the soil requirements and the technology for planting an exquisite truffle mushroom, the owner will be able to receive a consistently high income for several decades, since properly prepared soil and high-quality mycelium will provide an impressive result. Sell ​​products to restaurants and stores - get the desired profit and succeed in this business!

The famous and aristocratic truffle has very little in common with the well-known dessert, but is considered an equally delicious delicacy all over the world. The chocolate or curd dessert is called a truffle for its shape similar to the fruiting body of an underground mushroom. Truffle is an entire taxonomic group, genus (that is, a systematic association of species of similar origin).

A little about the truffle family

Of course, truffles are called not only species belonging to this genus, but also some others that are morphologically (in shape and structure) reminiscent of them. So-called “true truffles” are much more valuable than “truffle-like” ones, but they are very similar in terms of the growing conditions required. These mushrooms are characterized by the fact that they grow underground, right between the roots of trees, and therefore belong to the category of mycorrhiza-forming ones (forming a close symbiosis of mycelium with tree roots).

The origin of these mushrooms and the number of their species is not completely known. We can say that this is a poorly studied taxonomic group in biology. The fruiting bodies of truffles are especially valuable, edible, and, most importantly, delicious. They have a round or tuber-like shape, have a dense, fleshy or cartilaginous structure, and are covered on top with what are called “warts.” In general, their appearance is far from attractive, which sharply contrasts with the taste of representatives of the Truffle genus. There is an opinion that you only have to try this mushroom once in order to be forever imbued with this magical aroma and wonderful taste, which have captivated people at all times.

Types of truffles

There are different types of truffles. About a dozen are considered edible, but in total there are more than a hundred of them. At the same time, a number of inedible and poisonous varieties are classified as other genera. Their lifestyle is similar to a real truffle: they also grow underground.

Piedmontese truffle

The Piedmontese truffle, or Italian white truffle, is the most prized truffle in this family. It grows only in certain areas of Piedmont, in northern Italy. It is found in the hilly region around Turin, in Monferrato, Langhe and Roerot. It grows under oaks, willows, poplars, and less often under linden trees. The growing season is from mid-October to mid-February.

Characteristic:

• The fruiting body is tuber-shaped, with numerous outgrowths and deformations.
• The outer shell is yellow-red or yellow-brown, velvety, and fits tightly to the pulp.
• The inner pulp is light (white or cream), less often has a light pink tint or a marbled pattern.
• The size of the fruiting body is 2-12 cm.
• The average weight is 300 g, individual specimens can reach up to 1-1.3 kg.
• The aroma is similar to cheese with garlic, with pronounced musky and earthy notes.

Sometimes this type is called the “Tuscan gold truffle”, its price is the same as what it would be for a gold bar of the same weight. Mushrooms are sold at special truffle auctions, which have been held since 1930. You can taste fresh white truffles in October-January; the most delicious specimens are collected in November and December. At other times of the year, there are only canned ones; they taste much worse.

The cost of white truffle is high, on average 3000-4000 € per 1 kg, sometimes more. The most expensive and largest specimen weighing 1.5 kg was sold for $330,000 US per piece. At auctions, Piedmontese truffles are sold one at a time. The product is wrapped in paper napkins and displayed from smallest to largest.

Each mushroom has its own pedigree, which indicates the time of collection, the tree under which it was found, the name and breed of the dog. Market traders do the same.

Black Perigord truffle

Truffles are recommended to be collected in January

Périgord, or French black truffle, is the second most valuable after white. It is widespread in France (the most productive places are in the southwest of the country), Spain, and Central Italy. This species has now begun to be grown artificially; it was brought to America, Australia, and South Africa. Truffle mycelium feels good under oak, less often under other deciduous trees. Mushrooms ripen from November to March. The best period to collect this winter truffle is January and February.

Description of the mushroom:

• The shape of the fruiting body is rounded or slightly elongated.
• The upper layer (peridium) is brown-red, becomes black with age, and is covered with tetrahedral or hexagonal warts.
• The pulp is first gray or red-brown, then turns into black-violet; a marble pattern is clearly visible on the cut.
• Size – about 9 cm in diameter.
• Average weight – 400 g.
• The aroma is nutty, with faint notes of nutmeg and chocolate, the taste is spicy, with a hint of bitterness.

The mycelium of this species is aggressive, it destroys competing plants, so it is easier to find the mushroom underground than others. This can be done along islands of bare soil in those places where truffles are located. It used to be widely cultivated in France, but now harvests there have declined, but it has begun to be grown in China, Australia and other countries.

Black winter truffle

Black winter truffle grows in France, Italy, Switzerland, and Ukraine. Prefers moist soils. The mycelium loves the roots of linden and hazel; this variety is also found under birch and beech trees. Main features:

• The shape is round, sometimes irregularly spherical.
• The upper skin (peridium) changes color with age from red-brown to black, and is covered with small warts.
• The young flesh is white, then acquires a black-violet tone with brown and yellow veins.
• Diameter – 8-12 cm.
• The weight is sometimes 1-1.5 kg.
• The smell is rich, musky.

This variety is harvested from November to February.

Black summer truffle

Russian truffle is the second name for the black summer truffle, found in Scandinavia, Central Europe, and also in Russia. It grows under oak, beech, hornbeam, and rarely under birch or pine trees. Russian truffles ripen from late July to early November.

Main characteristics:

• Round shape of the fruiting body.
• The outer layer is blue-black and warty.
• The pulp is dense at first, then becomes loose and streaked.
• The color of this truffle varies from white-yellow to brown-gray.
• Diameter – 2.5-10 cm.
• Average weight - about 400 g.
• The taste has a pronounced nutty hue with a hint of algae.

The peculiarity of this species is its shallow location underground, sometimes the fruiting bodies even come to the surface. These are the only black truffles in Russia.

Black autumn truffle

The taste of the mushroom is reminiscent of hazelnuts

Autumn or Burgundy truffle is valued lower than its other French and Italian counterparts. It grows in the north-east of France, sometimes in Italy, rarely in England.

What does this mushroom look like:

• The shape is correct, round.
• The outer shell is covered with black tubercles.
• The pulp is dense, brown, with pronounced white veins on the cut, and never becomes loose.
• The taste and aroma are reminiscent of hazelnuts with pronounced chocolate notes.

Truffles of this variety are collected from late July to November.

White Oregon truffle

These mushrooms can only be found in the western part of the United States. They are small, only 2.5-5 cm in diameter, weigh about 250 g. Their feature is their shallow location in the soil. Mushrooms are often found directly under the layer of pine needles. Their taste is characterized by a pronounced herbal and fruity accent.

Himalayan or Chinese truffle

The species was first found in India at the end of the nineteenth century, and then it was found in the Himalayas. Nowadays, varieties of Chinese truffle are grown artificially and exported throughout the world. Their prices are lower, because mushrooms are significantly inferior in taste to their French and Italian counterparts.

This type of truffle looks like a small cone or potato with a dark, uneven skin dotted with cracks. The center is gray-brown, with beige or yellowish veins, hard, smells weak, tastes lean. It is considered a type of black winter truffle.

African truffle

The African truffle mushroom, or steppe, is found in the Mediterranean, North Africa, the Middle East, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan. The mycelium forms mycorrhiza not with trees, but with herbs: sunflowers and cistus.

Characteristics of the mushroom:

• The shape is round and elongated.
• The cover is brown or brown-yellow, smooth.
• The pulp is mealy, loose, white with brown or yellow veins.
• The diameter of the fruiting body is about 5 cm.
• Mushroom aroma.

This type of truffle is not considered too valuable. It is sought out and eaten by local residents of the coastal regions of North Africa, and is also collected in Italy and France.

Red glitter truffle

The red shiny truffle is found in all European countries, in deciduous and mixed forests. The mycelium enters into symbiosis with both deciduous and coniferous trees. Collection time is from May to August. The sizes are small, 1-5 cm, weight - up to 50 g. The surface is brown-yellow, the flesh is pink-tinged, soft. The taste and aroma have shades of red wine, pear and coconut.

This species is considered a relative of the red truffle.

Red truffle

Red truffle is a common European species, characterized by a red hue on the top layer. The flesh is yellow-brown, with a typical marbled pattern. The sizes are small, weight - up to 80 g. The taste is sweetish, “meaty”, with a grassy-coconut tint.

Red truffle has low culinary value.

White March truffle

Young mushrooms are suitable for consumption

The white March truffle grows in southern Europe, including the Crimean region. The surface is light brown when young, darkening over time to a reddish-brown hue. The pulp is dense, with a pronounced mushroom aroma and garlic notes in young specimens. In old mushrooms, the smell becomes unpleasant and repulsive.

The fruiting bodies are found under deciduous and coniferous trees and ripen from December to April. The species can be cultivated, but its cost is low.

There are several other types of edible truffles that are not of commercial interest: Durand, variegated, hairy, ocher. The mottled white truffle is used to make oil and is not eaten.

Physiology of taste

Even in ancient Rome, people admired the greatness of this mushroom. It was even considered healing and was used by doctors of that time to prepare remedies aimed at improving “men's health.” It was believed that he was able to give a person unimaginable strength and endurance. In the Middle Ages, there was an opinion that truffles had mystical properties and were capable of giving a person supernatural powers.

Truffles have been considered a special delicacy since the 15th century AD. It was then that Italian chefs began to use this unsightly, irregularly shaped mushroom in their dishes, which they called tartufo (“tuber”). At the same time, French chefs from the central regions of the country began to use truffles for cooking, but they did not position it as a delicacy, but considered it simply a “filler”. Then truffles began to be collected in Russia, in the Moscow province. According to legends, some particularly cunning “miners” attracted bears to their hunt, whose teeth were first pulled out, since they found underground mushrooms much easier.

Truffles began to be grown artificially in France only in the 19th century. Then there were entire “truffle forests” in every region of the country. They were available to almost any ordinary citizen at the holiday table. At the same time, the famous chef Jean-Anselme Brillat-Savarin wrote his still popular book “The Physiology of Taste”, in which he devoted an entire chapter to the “diamond of the kitchen” - the truffle, describing both its taste and aphrodisiac qualities.

However, the First World War, coupled with environmental degradation, had a very bad effect on truffle cultivation in France. And, if before the 20th century 100 tons of mushrooms per year were collected only from the territory of one region, then after the First World War the annual harvest of truffles in the entire country still did not exceed 20 tons.

Varieties of truffle

There are a huge variety of mushrooms, here are the most common:

• Italian truffle (Tuber magnatum), real or “Piedmontese” - its habitat is Piedmont (region of Italy). It grows near birches, lindens, and elms. This is the most expensive mushroom in the world. It is valued for its pleasant taste and cheese-garlic aroma.
• French black (Tuber melanosporum), "Périgord" is found in groves where hornbeams, beeches and oaks grow. It is considered the second most valuable, second only to Italian. A red-brown or brown-black truffle with an angular-round shape is covered with large warts and small depressions. The pulp is reddish in color and later turns purple. Its distinctive feature is the many white and black veins with a red border on the cut of the mushroom. The mushroom has a bitter taste with a strong aroma.
• The black Burgundy truffle (Tuber uncinatum) is a variety of French black truffle with a nutty aroma and chocolate flavor that grows throughout Europe.
• The summer truffle (Tuber aestivum), “Black Russian,” is recognized by its nutty taste and sweetish aroma of seaweed. It can be found on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus, in the deciduous forests of the Scandinavian countries, Central Europe, Ukraine, and in some areas of Central Asia. It ripens in the summer months.
• Winter truffle (Tuber brumale) ripens in November - February. Hiding in the ground, it is not damaged by frost, but if somehow the mushroom ends up on the surface, it freezes and loses all its taste. This happens even with the slightest frost. It grows in Switzerland, Italy and France, in the mountains of Crimea. The young mushroom has a reddish-purple color, the mature mushroom becomes almost black and is overgrown with many small warts. The ash-gray flesh has white veins and a musky aroma.
• The African truffle (Terfezia leonis) grows exclusively in North Africa and parts of the Middle East. The whitish-yellow mushrooms have a round shape. The pulp is light, mealy, with white streaks and numerous dark spots. When ripe it becomes moist.

Italian truffle mushroom

French black truffle mushroom

Black truffle mushroom "Burgundy"

Summer truffle mushroom

Winter truffle mushroom

African truffle

Growing on an industrial scale: myth and reality

Today, truffles are not grown on an industrial scale, but are obtained in natural conditions with the help of animals: truffle flies, dogs, pigs. The flies lay their eggs in the soil next to the truffle, and their larvae move towards the fruiting body of the mushroom to obtain nutrients and pupate. Swarms of such flies are clearly visible, which is why people have learned to find mushrooms with their help. Also, dogs and pigs who find “deposits” of mushrooms undergo special training.

Artificial cultivation of truffles as a business requires a lot of money, effort and energy, if only because they require a special soil composition. In addition, the truffle never bears fruit in the first year. However, according to experts, such a business allows you to receive consistently high earnings, but also requires high costs. People who have been involved in such a painstaking task as growing truffles claim that it takes an average of six years for the fruiting bodies to fully ripen. Without a doubt, this is a fairly impressive period of waiting time for payback. However, it is argued that the game is worth the candle. The soil produces a harvest for 30-35 years on average. A plantation of 1 hectare produces about 15-20 kilograms of truffles. Their cost will be about 500-600 dollars. Restaurants can serve as a distribution channel, the owners of which will quickly sell out the products, even those grown in artificial conditions. The most progressive economists also advise creating an online store or posting information about sales on online auction sites - this will allow truffles to be sold faster and more efficiently not only to restaurants, but also to gourmets who want to prepare gourmet dishes with an amazing delicacy in their kitchen.

There are two possibilities for cultivating truffles: at home, that is, in an open area, or in a closed area - in a greenhouse.

How to find a truffle

How to find a truffle if it is completely immersed in earthen darkness? Go forest hunting in the fall. The first sure sign is swarming yellowish flies. It is worth looking for them near the named trees at sunset, when insects lay eggs and their larvae feast on mushrooms.

Trifolau, a professional truffle collector, goes searching with a specially trained dog. The animal detects the mushroom by a specific smell, which it can smell at a distance of 20 meters. Such dogs are used in Italy, France, Poland and other countries. Another way is to replace dogs with regular pigs. The pig also goes for the truffle. Only, unlike a dog, she will not just dig up a valuable mushroom, but can eat it.

Reindeer truffle. Distributed in Belarus, in France and Italy it is considered poisonous.

It is better to go out on a quiet hunt with a dog (or pig) at night. It is in the dark that the desired smell is most evident.

The truffle hunting season is November-December, but can last longer. Depends on the weather. But in Polesie there is a black summer truffle (sometimes called Russian). It is not as valuable as black, but similar to it. And it grows in summer.

The shelf life of the delicacy is only 2-4 days. In order not to damage the gastronomic jewel and not release the aroma, the find is transported in a container. Store in the refrigerator.

Note to those who are lucky enough to find a truffle, but who decide not to eat it right away. If you put the mushroom in dry sand or a dry, cool and always dark place, the shelf life can last up to 2 months.

For longer storage, you will have to cut it into pieces and add olive oil. This is the option that is often sold in stores.

Mushrooms can be frozen, dried, canned.

Growing truffles in garden beds

To begin with, a territory is selected that meets all the requirements of fastidious mushrooms. Tree seedlings are infected with mycelium and then planted in the ground at an average distance from each other. Trees are planted in soil specially prepared for this purpose.

One tree is planted in a 4x4 meter square. At the same time, there should not be more than 500 trees on one hectare of land. Fertilize the soil long before planting, since the mycelium can be damaged by fertilizers. On each square of land, holes are dug into which water is poured, then a tree is placed. After this, the hole is filled with soil and watered. The planting depth should be at least 70 centimeters, which helps keep the mycelium unharmed when temperatures change and protects it from pests.

How to grow truffles at home

Unfortunately, the climatic conditions of most of Russia are very different from the weather conditions of Southern Europe, so it will most likely not be possible to grow truffles from mycelium in the Moscow region using the method described above. And besides, not everyone has the opportunity to plant their own oak grove on their property. In this case, you can try to grow a truffle under a single tree, or in areas with an unfavorable climate - in the basement of a house or a greenhouse.

How to grow truffles under trees

You can grow a truffle yourself under a tree. In regions with warm summers and mild winters, such an experiment may well end successfully. To do this, you will need to plant a seedling whose roots have already been inoculated with truffle mycelium. Such planting material can be purchased online or in specialized stores.

Most often, supplier companies offer Lebanese cedar, common hornbeam, pedunculate oak, holm oak, Atlas cedar, Aleppo pine, bear hazel, and European beech as seedlings for cultivation.

Young seedlings are sold, as a rule, in containers of various capacities (depending on their age). After purchasing the tree, it is planted in the prepared area. Under favorable conditions, a mushroom harvest may appear within the next 3-5 years.

Important! The garden area where truffles are grown must be completely protected from access by domestic animals, especially rabbits and pigs.

How to grow truffles in a greenhouse

A greenhouse can be used to simulate weather conditions in regions where the climate does not allow truffles to be grown under trees. This will require significant financial costs for special equipment, heating and air conditioning systems, as well as soil preparation. It needs to be cleared of roots and stones, ensure a normal level of acidity and the presence of necessary microelements.

Sawdust of various hardwoods, primarily oak and beech, is used as a nutrient medium for growing mushrooms. They are infected with truffle mycelium and placed in a sterile environment until mycorrhiza forms. This may take up to 1 year. After the mycelium develops, it is planted in a greenhouse in a prepared soil substrate.

Landing is carried out as follows:

1. Depressions of about 0.5-0.6 m are made in the ground, placing them at a distance of 1-2 m from each other.
2. The holes are spilled with water and a layer of humus is added to them.
3. Sawdust with truffle mycelium developed on it is laid out in the holes, approximately 1 handful for each hole.
4. The mycelium is covered with hay or sawdust on top.

Important! To reduce time, you can purchase a ready-made sawdust substrate with developed mycelium for cultivation.

In the greenhouse, conditions close to ideal must always be maintained. The ambient temperature should be about + 22 °C, and the relative humidity should be 55-60%. In winter, the soil should be mulched with peat for additional thermal insulation.

How to grow truffles at the dacha in the basement

Growing truffles at home all year round is possible using, for example, the basement of a house. To do this, it must be equipped with the same systems as the greenhouse. Basements are more preferable for growing not only truffles, but also any mushrooms in general, since they have much greater inertia. They keep temperature and humidity parameters more stable; in addition, there is no need to take measures to limit excess sunlight.

Important! Basements in which mushrooms are grown must be equipped with ventilation systems and control of carbon dioxide levels.

CO2, which is heavier than air, accumulates during the decomposition of organic residues and can gradually fill the entire basement, and this can be life-threatening.

For ease of work, it is advisable to zone the internal space of the basement, that is, to separate the places where the mycelium is grown and where the mushrooms ripen directly. Before starting work, the room is equipped with racks for placing containers with the substrate, and it is also disinfected.

Algorithm for growing truffles

1. Loosen the soil.
2. Apply fertilizers a season or two before planting, or not apply them at all.
3. Divide the soil into 4x4 meter square sectors.
4. Pick up a tree seedling. Both oak (holm or pedunculate), and spruce, pine, fir, hazel, flax or sequoia may be suitable.
5. When purchasing mushroom mycelium, experts recommend choosing French black truffle for growing with seedlings.
6. Infect seedlings with mycelium.
7. Dig at least 70 cm holes for seedlings.
8. Fill the holes with water.
9. Plant a seedling with mycelium in the hole.
10. Cover with soil.
11. Carry out mulching (lay at least 40 centimeters of soil with the remains of dry leaves).
12. Cover the area within a meter radius of the tree with polyethylene.
13. Regularly water the trees and “feed” them with NPK fertilizers.

How much does a truffle cost?

White truffle price

Late autumn in Piedmont is a magical time. The best restaurants in this Italian city serve a special truffle menu. Pasta, appetizers, desserts - chefs add truffles to all sections of the menu. Dishes with fresh truffle are, of course, not cheap. The presence of a noble delicacy at least doubles the standard price tag. The price of the truffle itself depends on the type of mushroom (white is more expensive than black) and its weight. The most expensive truffle (and at the same time the most expensive delicacy in the world) is the white truffle from Alba, on the border with Piedmont. Mushrooms from these regions sell for 1.5-7.5 thousand euros per kilogram. More expensive than black caviar and gold.

White truffle is more expensive than black truffle.

In 2007, a valuable 1.5-kilogram copy was sold for 330 thousand US dollars.

Price for black truffle

No more than 10 percent of black truffles are selected for individual sale. The rest goes into processing - into truffle oil, sauces, dressings, carpaccio in olive oil.

In the supermarket, a whole truffle the size of a walnut, placed in a jar of olive oil, produced by Giuliano Tartufi, costs about 10 euros.

Black truffles are usually sold to order in expensive restaurants. Weight ranges from 30-100 g per piece. The larger, the more expensive, but large ones (the size of an orange) grow rarely, no more than 1 percent. About 10 percent of the harvest are truffles the size of nuts, 30 percent are the size of grapes. The rest are even smaller.

A kg of French black truffle costs 400-1200 euros per kilogram. It may be higher, depending on the size of the mushroom. Chinese truffles are not valued on the HoReCa market and are several times cheaper: 20 euros per kg.

The most expensive natural black truffle was sold at auction for 160 thousand US dollars.

Truffles are the most expensive mushrooms in the world because they are difficult to grow in an artificial environment and because their reproduction is almost impossible to influence.

Where to try truffles in Belarus

In Minsk, you can try truffles at the Michel cafe (Karl Marx St., 9). The sophisticated establishment serves a burger with truffle oil, beef patty and caramelized bacon. The meat giant costs 30 rubles.

In Brest, for truffles, go to the Venice cafe (5 Internatsionalnaya St.). Italian traditional bread - focaccia - is baked in the oven in full view of the guests. One option is with truffle oil. The divine bread costs 5 rubles per piece.

In Grodno, you can, unfortunately, only try truffles in the coffee shop of the Kommunarka confectionery factory. And they don’t sell truffle mushrooms... but sweets. Alas, I couldn’t find any restaurants or cafes serving dishes with truffles in Grodno.

Soil requirements

1. The presence of high humus content in the soil.
2. High degree of mechanical tillage.
3. The soil pH should vary between 7 and 8.
4. The soil should not contain any mushrooms.
5. Weeds are not allowed to grow around trees.
6. Growing conditions should be close to the natural conditions of a temperate continental climate.
7. In the spring-summer period, the temperature should not be lower than 16 degrees Celsius and higher than 22 degrees Celsius.
8. The area where planting is carried out must be relief.

White truffles are grown in the same way as black truffles, however, in order for them to bear fruit most quickly and efficiently, it is recommended to graft the mycelium, which costs about $10, not onto oak, as is the case with black, but onto a walnut tree. The soil must also contain a lot of humus and have a high level of alkali, which can be tested with ordinary litmus paper. If acid is present, it will turn blue. This cannot be allowed. Under no circumstances should rabbits or pigs be allowed near truffle planting sites - they are considered the main pests for these organisms.

Where does the truffle mushroom grow?

They call it truffles. Both a black diamond and a white diamond. Even an underground king. Yes, the life of a gourmet idol takes place underground. Truffles grow at a depth of up to 30 cm. They rarely appear outside. This happens with old, that is, large, specimens.

Truffle is not an independent mushroom. It feeds on adjacent trees. “Sticking” to the roots, it consumes carbohydrates from its stronger neighbors. But he is not selfish - and generously thanks for the help: sharing water and protecting trees from microbes.

The most powerful aroma comes from mushrooms that grow under oak trees.

Most “underground diamonds” of black color choose hazel, oak, beech, and hornbeam as their neighbors. Whites prefer birch, hawthorn, elm, linden, poplar, rowan, and willow trees.

Growing in artificial conditions

The artificial cultivation of truffles is of interest to farmers all over the world. And this is no wonder: the mushroom is considered “royal”, grows in very small quantities in natural conditions, is practically not cultivated, and has a high price. A comfortable environment for the habitat and development of these fungi is an open flat area where mixed forests grow, with a temperate continental climate.

It is very important to comply with all the conditions necessary for the mushroom: the truffle is very “capricious” and “demanding”. However, the level of development of technology and technology makes it possible to obtain a good harvest of mushrooms in areas where the climate does not correspond to the desired one. There, mushrooms are planted in basements, greenhouses, greenhouses and other enclosed spaces. At the same time, winter temperatures should not fall below zero, and summer temperatures should not rise above 22 degrees.

To grow in a greenhouse, in addition to all greenhouse equipment, you will need:

1. Mushroom mycelium purchased in advance.
2. Wood or sawdust.
3. Soil with remains of leaves.
4. Nutrient solution.

First of all, you need to prepare the soil for planting in a special way. Firstly, it needs to be loosened well. It is even recommended to sift the soil to avoid mechanical damage and “oxygen starvation” of the mushrooms. Secondly, check with indicators or instruments whether the alkali level is sufficient. Thirdly, increase the calcium and humus content. Fourthly, the soil is covered with sawdust and soil with the remains of leaves. Fifthly, the soil is saturated with nutrients.

What is their feature?

Truffles are an underground tuberous body that belongs to the genus of marsupial fungi. They grow in small groups of 3-7 fruits and are characterized by the presence of a fleshy structure and unsightly appearance, which hides exclusive taste. There is an opinion that once you taste a truffle, its aroma will be etched in your memory for the rest of your life.

Where do they grow?

The delicacy first became known in Egypt and Ancient Rome. In the 16th century, it was brought to France, where to this day it is in unprecedented demand. Mushrooms are grown in coniferous and deciduous forests:

• Europe;
• North America;
• Asia;
• North Africa.

White truffles from the Italian city of Alba in Piedmont are considered the best. They are collected from October to December, which is why the region at this time becomes a tourist center that true gourmets can visit.

What does it taste like?

The mushroom has a distinct flavor that can be compared to roasted sunflower seeds and walnuts. To maximize the preservation of taste, they prefer to consume the delicacy raw or by reducing the process of heat treatment of the product to a minimum. Many people who have tasted it note that the fruit body has a strong odor, reminiscent of the aroma of algae.

Truffles are collected at night, this is explained by the enhancement of its aromatic properties in cool air. To hunt for them, pigs are used, which are able to easily detect the elite smell of mushrooms.

MushMagic

What types are there?

There are two common varieties:

• black truffle (Tuber Melanosporum);
• white truffle (Tuber Magnatum).

Compared to other mushrooms, this delicacy requires special growing conditions - a subtropical climate with abundant rainfall. It feels comfortable in mixed forests where beeches and oaks grow that are more than 15 years old. The soil for cultivation should be soft and rich in minerals.

White truffle