Surely everyone has heard at some point that truffle is a true delicacy that is available only to people with great financial resources. Even today, when it has become possible to grow mushrooms on farms rather than looking for them in the forests, the truffle still remains an expensive mushroom. This mushroom of the truffle family belongs to the Truffleaceae genus. In addition, it is also called French or Perigord, due to its place of growth. The largest concentration of these mushrooms was found in France in the Périgord region.
To date, scientists have identified about 32 varieties of different truffles. However, only 8 of them are truly expensive and rarely found delicacies. The diamond among these mushrooms is the black truffle. Let's find out why.
Description and photo of black truffle
Perhaps one day you will be lucky and find black truffles while walking. Also, some fly to France specifically to try fresh, rare mushrooms.
But how do you know that this is the right truffle? To do this you need to know what it looks like.
From Latin - .
Fruiting body
The fruiting body of this mushroom is well remembered by anyone, even from a picture. Firstly, truffles most often have an uneven oval shape, very similar to a potato tuber. Painted dark. If you look at the flesh of this mushroom, you will be surprised. At first it has a light beige hue, but when interacting with oxygen it quickly turns into a black-violet hue. However, white veins remain inside.
The truffle grows underground, so its skin is hard enough not to deform under the thickness of the earth.
It has an irregular shape in the form of a tuber. Most often, the diameter of the fruiting body varies from 3 to 10 cm.
The color of the truffle deserves special attention. It has a shade closer to dark brown, however, as it ripens, it becomes jet black. However, if you press hard on the elastic skin of the mushroom, it will turn rusty. Truffles are very rough. Their surface is covered with all sorts of irregularities and several edges. However, despite this it is very pleasant in the hand. The skin smells cold.
The flesh of this mushroom is quite tough. Therefore, fresh truffles cannot impress everyone with their taste. It is believed that the pulp, after interacting with oxygen, gets drunk and becomes truly healthy and tasty.
In terms of smell, aroma and taste, the pulp has a characteristic strong aroma. It is very pleasant and mostly mushroomy. The taste is also acceptable, although slightly bitter.
Truffles, like many mushrooms, reproduce by spores. Its powder has a dark brown tint. The spores themselves are oval in shape, less often they can be curved and branched.
Where it grows and how to find it
If you are eager to try this delicious mushroom, then you definitely need to go to France. It is there that approximately 60% of the total number of black truffles is grown. The largest concentrations are observed in Périgord. This is an area of France that is simply riddled with these mushrooms. Therefore, during the season you will see crowds of tourists here.
Also, in addition to Périgord, you can go to the southeastern part. There is the Gironde and Dordoi. In addition, black truffles are chosen to grow in countries with a warm and pleasant climate. Therefore, they can be found in Italy and Spain. They are also present in China.
For a long time it was believed that truffles were simply a kind of growth on the roots of trees. However, these marsupial fungi over time showed two interesting features.
The first feature is that an unaware person will pass by and will never discover that there is a truffle under his feet at a depth of 5 to 20 cm. That is why these mushrooms are very difficult to detect, and they are obtained in small quantities. The second feature is that the truffle chooses only calcareous soils for its growth and development, and it also likes to settle next to the roots of trees, where it feels as comfortable as possible.
Truffles are also really picky when it comes to choosing trees next to which they want to grow and develop. They most often accept oak or hickory trees.
Why do truffles try to locate near trees? Most often, they need nutrients, which the tree receives from the ground in large quantities. The truffle mycelium is carefully woven into the root, resulting in the mineral salts and water necessary for growth and development.
However, this is a mutually beneficial symbiosis. The tree shares its nutrients, and the truffle mycelium reliably protects the roots from various putrefactive processes.
However, truffle has a detrimental effect on small vegetation in the form of grasses and moss. It dies, since nutrients are mainly obtained by trees and mushrooms.
As for the harvest time, the black French truffle bears fruit from December to the twentieth of March. However, truffle hunters take to the train already in the first winter months.
In order to find truffles, the French use specially trained pigs that are able to smell them over long distances. However, pigs have a detrimental effect on forest soil, destroying it over time. Also, pigs can often damage the mycelium, as a result of which no more mushrooms will appear in this place. Therefore, recently it has become common to use specially trained dogs.
Edibility of Black Truffle
What qualities are black truffles so highly valued for?
Gourmets will highly appreciate the aroma of black truffles. This is why the mushroom has such a high cost. However, everyone's perception of taste and smell is different. Some say that the mushroom clearly resembles dark chocolate, while others say that they smell cognac.
Famous chefs believe that this delicacy is ideal as a component of desserts, which is why truffle and almond ice cream is highly valued.
Truffle sauces are especially popular. They turn out tart, tasty, rich, and can decorate any, even the most bland, dish. Truffle goes perfectly with nuts, so a meat dish with truffle usually contains grated almonds, pistachios and hazelnuts.
Useful properties and calorie content
The mushroom is not only extremely tasty, but also very healthy. Truffle contains antioxidants necessary for the human body, which prevent the aging process, activating youth, health and vigor.
Also, it contains the basic vitamins necessary for the human body - A, B, folic acid, and so on.
However, eating truffles alone will not achieve the desired effect. The contents of this product must be appropriate. Ideally, it is recommended to eat a couple of truffles per meal, and not overindulge in consumption more than twice a week. Despite its positive properties, truffle contains acids, which in large quantities can have a detrimental effect on the body. In addition, such acids corrode the stomach, and in large quantities can have a detrimental effect on the body if you already had any serious disease of the gastrointestinal tract.
However, if you are an absolutely healthy person, then truffle will be an ideal addition to your diet.
If you are on a diet, then black truffle will in no way cause you to crash. It has a small amount of calories per 100 g, therefore, it will not affect the beauty of the figure in any way.
Black French truffles themselves have long been considered a good aphrodisiac. Mushrooms are recommended to be consumed if you are affected by gout at an early stage. Truffles make a good mood, which really helps with diarrhea, vomiting, and weakness.
How much does a mushroom cost?
Truffle is an expensive mushroom. During the period of its maturity and special growth, prices for it skyrocket. In addition, auctions are held for special types of truffles that grow in certain regions of France. So, kg of these mushrooms are taken for crazy money, and of course, they are taken to the largest and best restaurants in the world.
Despite the fact that truffles are stored for a short time, they still do not have time to become stale. They are bought very quickly despite the high cost, because fresh truffle is a separate type of pleasure that is not available to many.
Despite the astronomical cost, the truffle is ideal for decorating the menu of any restaurant.
Therefore, you should not be surprised that they demand an impressive amount of money for it. The price of a truffle varies depending on where the mushroom was grown, in what conditions and what taste it has.
So, at the very beginning of the season, when the mushrooms are not yet the most ripe and have not fully filled with juice and taste, the cost of a mushroom per 1 kg is $170. However, once the season gets into full swing and the truffles become ripe, the cost rises to around $900 per kg.
Truffle, which grows in certain regions of France and also has a unique taste and bitterness, costs from one and a half thousand dollars per kg.
Kinds
Let's consider two edible species and one inedible (Deer).
Truffle black winter
The fruit body of the winter black truffle has an irregular spherical shape, almost round. Reaches 8 cm and weighs 300 g. The shell of this mushroom has a reddish purple tint, and sometimes even black. The skin is covered with polygons and ridges that must be peeled off before cooking. The pulp of this mushroom has a dense structure, at first white or beige, then becomes gray and even purple. This mushroom differs from other species in that it has marble veins inside.
The aroma is very tasty, pleasant and persistent, and somewhat reminiscent of musk. When cut, the mushroom begins to emit a strong odor that is very similar to nuts. Most often it bears fruit well from November to March. Lives in France, North Ossetia and Crimea.
It is used mainly in restaurants and is included in numerous sauces and dressings.
Truffle black summer
A very specific mushroom that has a fruiting body up to 10 cm in diameter. The surface has a silver-brown tint and a bluish glow, which is covered with black warts. The softness of this mushroom is dense, but in older mushrooms it has a looser structure. With age, the color changes, moving from white to brown tones. Then a marble pattern is formed. The pulp has a nutty taste and is slightly sweet. The smell is quite pleasant and strong. The spore powder has a yellow-brown tint.
The mushroom is distributed from Central Europe, and is also seen in the south of Scandinavia and on the coast of the Caucasus. Most often it is woven into the roots of oak, hornbeam or birch.
Inedible Deer Truffle
The reindeer truffle is a mushroom that is not edible for humans and can be harmful to health. Belongs to the genus of marsupial mushrooms. Distributed in Central Europe. It has gray flesh and light gray skin. Contains many toxic toxic substances, causing poisoning. The smell is unpleasant, however, it attracts deer. It was in their honor that this mushroom, which these horned animals loved so much, was named.
Application in cosmetology and medicine
Hair masks are made based on black truffle and used in various luxury beauty salons throughout Europe. It is believed that the antioxidants contained in truffle effectively affect the growth and structure of the hair, enriching and nourishing it. Vitamins and dietary supplements are also made from this truffle.
Based on the truffle, eye patches are made that effectively combat puffiness and circles under the eyes. In order to achieve a positive effect, it is necessary to place the patches directly in the lower eyelid area and leave for a while.
Recipes
If you are lucky enough to find a black truffle, then congratulations. Surely a very tasty dinner awaits you.
- So, first you need to rinse the truffle well.
- Then, soak it in water for several hours.
- Dry the truffles and carefully cut them into cubes.
- Then, put it in a blender container.
- Add a couple of tablespoons of sour cream, parsley, dill and basil there.
- Beat everything at high speed with a blender.
- Then refrigerate for a couple of hours to allow the mixture to thicken.
Congratulations, you have made a very tasty sauce.
Another recipe involves baking in the oven.
- You need to cut your favorite vegetables.
- Then, cut the pork meat.
- Place in a baking bag and place in the oven for half an hour at 200 degrees.
- Then, unfasten the baking bag and add the truffle cut into slices.
- Also, add chopped tomatoes for juiciness.
- Place in the oven for a couple of hours.
Ice cream with truffle
- Cut the truffle into small pieces.
- Place in blender.
- Also, put yogurt and some milk there.
- If desired, add pieces of your favorite fruit.
- Beat everything thoroughly with a blender.
- Then, fill the ice cream molds with the resulting mixture, and then put it in the refrigerator.
Proper storage
In order for the truffle to retain its taste for as long as possible, it is necessary to carry out proper storage. If you want to preserve the taste of the mushroom for a long time, it is not recommended to wash it, and in general, to keep it in contact with water. That is why truffles collected in the forest just need to be carefully placed in a container and covered with plastic wrap on top. Store the truffles in a cool place in the house or in the refrigerator. This will create the effect that it is still underground, at a cool temperature, but without interacting with oxygen.
Contraindications
Despite the fact that this mushroom is classified as edible, there are still some contraindications that should be taken into account before trying truffles.
Fresh truffle can be tried by nursing mothers and pregnant women. However, if the black truffle has been stored in the refrigerator for some time, or not at all in the proper way, then it is recommended to refuse to use it, due to the fact that the risk of poisoning increases.
If you are allergic to truffle components, we recommend trying it in small pieces, gradually increasing the amount you eat.
It is also recommended that people who have stomach ulcers, as well as other diseases associated with the gastrointestinal tract, digestive organs, and so on, avoid eating this mushroom.
Black truffle is a unique mushroom that is a real delicacy. Chefs in the most famous and expensive restaurants use it as the main ingredient for their most exquisite and luxurious dishes.
But still, if you really want to, you can find a truffle on your own, the main thing is to determine the place and time of the search. It is also recommended to take a responsible approach to preservation, since despite its edibility, this mushroom very quickly loses its beneficial properties and acquires negative ones.
What is worth saying from all of the above? If you are a true gourmet and also love everything new, black truffle should definitely be on the list of products that you should try. We hope that it will leave you with only pleasant impressions.
Truffle (Tuber) is a marsupial-type mushroom that forms underground tuberous and fleshy fruiting bodies. This is the most expensive and valuable mushroom delicacy.
Despite the fact that the fruiting bodies of the marsupial variety do not look very attractive, the finished mushroom dishes have an excellent taste and a distinctive, incredibly pleasant smell. Dishes based on such a product are highly valued not only in restaurants in our country, but also among foreign consumers.
What do truffles look like?
The fruiting body grows underground, It has a round or tuberous shape and also has a fleshy or cartilaginous structure. Apothecia in an adult truffle are usually closed and can vary in size from the diameter of a hazelnut to the diameter of a fairly large potato tuber. The outer side of the fruiting bodies is represented by a leathery layer called peridium. The surface of the peridium can be smooth, cracked, or covered with warts of the polyhedral type. The cut has a marble pattern represented by alternating light veins or “internal veins” and dark veins or “external veins”.
Truffle is the most expensive and valuable mushroom delicacy
Where do truffles grow in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus?
Valuable fruiting bodies are sought in deciduous forests, where they are capable of forming mycorrhizae with woody roots. For example, the black truffle has a very expressive smell and most often grows next to oaks, beeches, hornbeam and hazel, while the white truffle has a milder aroma and creates mycorrhiza with birch, poplar, elm, linden, rowan and hawthorn. Ideal places for growth are considered to be Portugal, Spain, Italy and Germany.
On the territory of our country, this valuable mushroom grows extremely rarely in the Moscow, Vladimir, Tula, Oryol and Smolensk regions, but is quite common on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus, as well as in the Middle Volga region. In Ukraine, the optimal soil and climatic conditions for truffles are the Lviv region, the Carpathians and the Khmelnitsky region, as well as the territory of Transcarpathia. On the territory of Belarus, a unique mushroom is found in the forests of the Svisloch-Berezinsky reserve.
Gallery: truffle mushrooms (25 photos)
Where do truffles grow (video)
Taste and nutritional value of truffles
The undoubted benefits of fruiting bodies, as well as their nutritional value and excellent taste are determined by the chemical composition:
- proteins – 3.0 g;
- fat – 0.5 g;
- carbohydrates – 2.0 g;
- dietary fiber – 1.0 g;
- water – 90.0 g;
- ash – 1.0 g;
- vitamin B1 or thiamine – 0.02 mg;
- vitamin B2 or riboflavin – 0.4 mg;
- vitamin “C” or ascorbic acid – 6.0 mg;
- vitamin “PP” – 9.5 mg;
- niacin – 9.0 mg;
- monosaccharides and disaccharides – 1.0 g.
The average energy value varies depending on the species, but most often it is 22-24 kcal.
About the benefits of truffle mushrooms
The benefits of truffles are not in doubt. Fruiting bodies are a source of vitamins, which are especially important at the stage of active, rapid growth processes. Besides everything else, This product is an excellent antioxidant that helps rejuvenate the body.. The ability of the marsupial fungus to manifest itself as a very strong and effective aphrodisiac is also well known. Cosmetics based on this mushroom make wrinkles less noticeable, get rid of age spots and tighten the skin. Truffle also helps to get rid of chronic fatigue and loss of strength.
Types of truffle mushrooms
Several types of truffles are well known, differing not only in their appearance, but also in taste and nutritional value.
T.aestivum - forms an underground modified apothecium, which has a tuberous or round shape with a brownish-black or bluish-black surface on which black pyramidal warts are located. The pulp, depending on the stage of development, can be very dense or more loose, whitish or brownish-grayish-yellow with the presence of light veins that form a marble pattern. The taste is high. The pulp has a nutty and sweetish taste, as well as a very pleasant and pronounced aroma with slightly herbaceous notes. The spores are yellow-brown, fusiform or oval in shape, with a very characteristic reticulate type. Fruits in summer or in the first ten days of autumn.
T.brumale - forms irregular spherical or almost round fruiting bodies with a peridium covered with polygonal or thyroid warts, sometimes of a deep type. The outer part is red-violet or black. The color of the pulp changes from white to grayish or grayish-violet with a large number of white and yellowish-brown marbled veins. The spores are ellipsoidal or oval in shape, different in size, brown in color, with curved surface spines. It bears fruit from November to the last ten days of spring.
Italian or Piedmontese truffle
T.magnatum - forms underground type modified apothecia, represented by uneven and tuberous bodies with an uneven surface, covered with thin and velvety, light ocher or slightly brownish skin, which is not separated from the pulp. The internal structure is dense, whitish or yellowish-gray in color, sometimes with a reddish tint. The pulp is characterized by the presence of a white and creamy-brown marbled pattern, with a pleasant and spicy aroma reminiscent of garlic cheese. The spores are yellowish-brown, oval-shaped, with a reticulate pattern. Fruiting bodies are collected from the last ten days of September until the end of January.
Périgord or black truffle
T.melanosporum - forms modified underground tuberous apothecia, round or irregular in shape, with a reddish-brown or coal-black surface that changes color to orange when pressed. The skin is covered with numerous small multifaceted irregularities. The structure is solid, light gray or pinkish-brown in color with a whitish or reddish-pink marbled pattern on the cut. The pulp has a very strong and characteristic aroma, as well as a pleasant bitter taste. The spores are dark brown, fusiform or oval in shape, with a curve. Collection takes place from November to March.
Truffles are sometimes classified as other varieties that have similar fruiting bodies. Most often they belong to the genus Choiromyces, Elaromyces and Terfezia:
- Terfetia lion yellow- a North African variety that has a rounded and uneven shape, as well as a brownish or whitish-yellow coloring of the surface. The pulp is light in color, mealy, moist, with pronounced whitish streaks and brown spots;
- Elaphomyces granularis– characterized by the presence of an outer crust, on top of which numerous small warts are densely located. Fruit bodies with an ocher-brown or yellowish-ocher surface covering white or grayish flesh.
The Caucasian variety Terfezia transcaucasica, well known as tombalan, grows on the territory of our country. A variety of marsupial fungi, quite widespread in Azerbaijan and the Absheron Peninsula, as well as in Nagorno-Karabakh and Central Asia.
Beneficial properties of truffle mushrooms (video)
How and when to look for truffles correctly
Collection of fully ripened fruiting bodies is carried out, as a rule, in the last decade of summer or at the beginning of autumn. Most often, mushrooms of this species grow in clearings well illuminated by sunlight, along the edge of an oak grove, near birch groves, and can also be found in aspen and alder plantings. To determine the location of mushrooms, pigs and dogs are specially trained, they have the best sense of smell, which helps to find mushrooms due to their very unique and quite strong aroma.
Truffle sites can be easily identified by the presence of a grayish-ashy coloring of the soil, as well as the appearance of withered or stunted mosses and grass. As a rule, fruiting bodies are represented by several specimens in one place, some of which can sometimes protrude above ground level. It is best to collect fruiting bodies in the evening. In many countries, specially trained domestic or farm animals are used to search for mushrooms.
Features of growing truffles at home
Difficulties in growing, the seasonality of obtaining fruiting bodies, as well as high taste and aromatic qualities explain the high cost of such a product. Despite the fact that it is customary to grow truffle plantations en masse in many foreign countries, you can also get quite decent yields at home. To properly grow valuable bodies, you need to adhere to the following recommendations and step-by-step technology:
- purchase on a substrate or special substrate;
- harvesting fallen oak, walnut, beech branches and foliage, as well as moss;
- purchasing peat nutrient substrate for cultivating indoor plants;
- selecting a tree and digging several holes around it up to a quarter of a meter deep and up to 10 cm in diameter;
- filling each dug hole ½ full with prepared nutritious peat substrate;
- laying mushroom mycelium and sprinkling it with a nutritious peat substrate, followed by dense compaction;
- abundant watering of the mushroom planting with rain or melt water;
- laying the prepared mixture based on foliage, moss and branches, followed by watering.
The timing of the appearance of the first harvest directly depends on soil and weather conditions, as well as the quality characteristics of the planting material. As a rule, the first fruiting occurs after three to four years.
You can also get quite a decent yield of truffles at home
How to properly cook truffle mushrooms
This valuable delicacy forest product must be properly prepared. A very tasty and original combination can be obtained from mushrooms with pasta, rice and eggs. One of the most popular dishes served in famous establishments is “Truffles in Champagne”, To prepare it you will need:
- prepare a fatty broth from a liter of water and 500 g of pork, which should be cooked for about an hour and a half;
- cut four fruiting bodies into thin slices and place in a saucepan, adding about 100 g of pork lard and a small amount of meat broth;
- After boiling, add 2/3 cup of champagne.
The resulting composition is cooked over very low heat for half an hour, after which the dish is decorated and served.
“Pasta with anchovies and truffle” is a very original and delicious dish. To prepare, you need to finely chop one truffle and five anchovies, then chop four garlic cloves using a press. Place the chopped mushrooms and anchovies in a well-heated olive oil in a shallow frying pan, then add all the chopped garlic, some black pepper and a small amount of red pepper. Salt is added to taste. The mixture, fried for a couple of minutes, is added to the pasta, previously boiled until fully cooked. The finished dish must be seasoned with grated Parmesan before serving.
How to cook truffle mushrooms (video)
How to properly store fresh truffles
The average shelf life of freshly picked truffle fruit bodies, regardless of the type, is not too long. To experience the unique and very refined mushroom aroma, you need to prepare the dish for several hours, as soon as possible, preferably immediately after collecting the fruiting bodies.
Several methods can be used to extend the shelf life. Storing the collected fruiting bodies in rice has proven to work best, and storing the most valuable mushrooms in oil allows you to give it a simply unique and very mild aroma. For the purpose of maximum long-term storage, it is advisable to freeze freshly harvested truffle fruit bodies.
Gallery: truffle mushrooms (40 photos)
In Russia, the white truffle is considered an edible mushroom of category 4 nutritional value, and a delicacy. The same opinion is shared in Germany, Sweden and Hungary. But in Spain, France and Italy, white truffle is considered, on the contrary, poisonous, causing gastrointestinal poisoning. In Spain, the white truffle is listed as a species whose sale is prohibited. There is also information about the toxicity of only overripe fruiting bodies, as well as the need for heat treatment.
Description
White truffle looks like potato tubers, and not at all like an ordinary mushroom. It does not have a cap or a leg, and it itself is in the ground, from where it still needs to be dug out.
Fruiting body
The fruit bodies of the white truffle are irregular in shape, slightly rounded. This form of the fruiting body is called apothecium. In truffles, the apothecium is secondary closed. The surface is almost smooth. The white truffle grows up to 12 cm at its widest part; there are also small specimens from 2 cm. At first, this type of truffle is really white, but as it grows it darkens and also becomes similar to potatoes in color (it turns brown or brown).
Spore-bearing layer
The spore-bearing layer of the white truffle is represented by the hymenium, which covers its entire internal surface, forming “bags” with spores.
Pulp
The flesh of a white truffle looks like a raw potato with veins. The cooked truffle looks a little like meat with a distinct taste of roasted sunflower seeds and the smell of walnuts. Overripe truffles acquire an unpleasant smell of rotting wood. Raw mushrooms of this type also smell quite strong, but pleasant. It is by smell that truffles are detected by cows and other animals.
Controversy
White truffle spores are round, large and surrounded by brown spines. In this type of mushroom they are stored in a bag (ask). Each bag contains 8 spores.
Spreading
The white truffle prefers to grow next to oaks, birches, as well as pine, spruce and some other coniferous trees. Distributed in Russia, almost all European countries and the northern states of the USA. But at the same time, in a number of countries it is included in the Red Books as a rare species or a species on the verge of extinction.
Truffles grow from late summer until the very end of autumn.
Similar species
There are several related species similar to the white truffle. However, none of them grow in Russia:
- Choriomyces magnusii
Grows in the warm climate of southern Europe. In Spain it is considered a delicacy. It is distinguished by small fruiting bodies; the spores are covered not with thorns, but with warty growths.
- Tuber magnatum (Italian truffle, Piedmontese)
It has a yellow surface color and is always completely covered with soil. Slightly different smell and taste. They grow in Italy and adjacent parts of France.
1- Choriomyces magnusii 2- Tuber magnatum
- Terfesia arenaria (sand truffle)
- Terfesia leptoderma (soft-bodied truffle)
The shape is more spherical and smooth. Edible, there is information that fans eat them raw.
1- Terfesia arenaria (sand truffle) 2- Terfesia leptoderma (soft-bodied truffle)
There are no poisonous mushrooms among the listed varieties.
Edibility
White truffle is an edible mushroom of category 4 nutritional value. Truffle can be used to make sauces, seasonings and butter (this is regular butter with truffle added). If black truffles are preheated (for example, in the oven) to enhance the aroma, then white truffles are eaten raw and without heating.
You can store truffles for some time in dry, dark storage rooms, but it is important not to clean them from the soil. But a more reliable way is preservation in vegetable oil (usually olive oil).
Here are some interesting facts about white truffle:
- if you soak a raw truffle in water for some time, the latter tastes indistinguishable from soy sauce;
- despite their exotic appearance and reputation as a delicacy, truffles are indistinguishable from other mushrooms in their chemical composition;
- White truffles in Russia are called “cow’s bread” because when grazing, cows and other animals detect the truffle by smell, tear up the soil above it and eat the top part of the mushroom.
White truffles have a unique aroma that animals smell very well. But some people are not sensitive to this smell at all. Another portion of people perceive the truffle aroma as disgusting, reminiscent of the smell of old urine or sweat.
Most Russians are accustomed to calling chocolate candies with a characteristic tart taste truffles. However, these candies got their name due to their external resemblance to unusual mushrooms. The latter are considered expensive and are especially appreciated by gourmets. When searching for a delicacy, difficulties often arise because it grows at a depth of 15 cm. If you are interested in the question of where real expensive truffles grow in Russia, then you need to figure out what climatic conditions are suitable for them.
What is a truffle
Truffles belong to the fungi of the marsupial genus, which have underground tuberous fleshy fruiting bodies. Their unsightly appearance belies their excellent taste and aroma. Once you try the delicacy, you will remember it for the rest of your life. It smells like an autumn forest: fallen leaves, earth, wet trees. Fresh truffles have a very strong aroma. Even if cooking is not your hobby, making truffles is easy.
The mushroom is located underground between the roots of beech, hornbeam, oak, birch, poplar, elm, linden, rowan, hawthorn and other trees. As it develops, it pulls all vital elements from the roots without causing any harm to the tree. Truffles love deciduous, mixed forests, soil with lime. Ripening time is from late summer to late autumn. The standard size of mushrooms is 10-15 cm, their weight is up to 500 g. Plants are found in the Volga region, Moscow, Oryol, Vladimir, Samara, Leningrad regions, the Caucasus and the shores of the Black Sea.
What does a truffle mushroom look like?
The fruiting bodies are round, tuberous in shape and have a fleshy, cartilaginous consistency. If we talk about size, it varies from a hazelnut to a potato tuber. On the outside, the fruiting bodies have a leathery layer called the peridium. It can be smooth, cracked, or covered with large polyhedral warts. If you cut the fruiting body, the tissue pattern will resemble marble. The shiny truffle inside has alternating light and dark veins: the light ones are called “internal veins”, the dark ones are called “external veins”.
Why truffle is the most expensive mushroom in the world
Truffles are called royal mushrooms - one of the most expensive. You can find sellers offering a kilo for over $4,000. The value of the product is explained by its rarity, unsurpassed taste and aroma. French and Italian have become famous throughout the world. There are two truffle capitals: Grignan and Aqualagna: here the fruits are collected almost all year round: white in autumn, black in winter, banchetto in spring, black summer truffles in summer.
White fruits are exquisite. They cannot be bred; they grow in very limited areas. For example, in Piedmont mushrooms are found only in Langhe, sometimes found in Monferrato, Roero, around Turin. The high price of such products is due to high demand and low supply. They differ in seasonality; they are on sale from October to January (the price depends on the variety). The most expensive delicacy is white. One day, a product weighing 1.2 kg was put up and sold at an Italian auction, its price was 95,000 euros.
Do truffles grow in Russia?
The Russian truffle is called the black summer mushroom - Tuber aestivum (from Latin). They reach a diameter of 10 cm, weight is 400 g. Age is determined by the pulp: its color is whitish, yellow-brown, gray-brown. As the fruiting body ripens, its consistency changes: in young mushrooms it is dense, in old mushrooms it is loose. The taste of truffle is slightly sweet, the aroma is reminiscent of hazelnuts and seaweed. The delicacy is found in Europe, the western part of Russia, under pine, hazel, and oak trees. The fruits can be found from June to October.
Summer black (Tuber aestivum)
This type of fruit is usually called Saint-Jean, scorzone, edible, Burgundy. The ripening period lasts all summer and ends in late autumn. The northern regions of Russia are distinguished by a different fruiting time - from mid-summer to November. Tuber aestivum is found at a depth of 3-15 cm. The fruits are located in groups or singly, form mycorrhiza with beeches, oaks, hornbeams, and are rarely located near birches and pines. They are often found in the southwest of Russia, on the Black Sea coast.
Winter black
The fruit is covered with warts 2-3 cm in size, its diameter reaches 20 cm. The fresh fruit has a reddish-violet tint on the outside, after harvesting the color darkens and becomes black. The truffle pulp is white, then turns gray and becomes gray-violet with many white, yellowish veins. The weight of such a fruit can be more than a kilogram. It often grows in Ukrainian, French, and Italian lands. Ideal places for plants are birch, oak groves, and beech forests. Active fruiting - from November to March. The truffle aroma is reminiscent of musk.
White truffle
The price of the product is significantly higher than previous ones. Resembles Jerusalem artichoke tubers measuring 5-15 cm. Weight can be more than 1.5 kg. If you go for mature truffles, keep in mind that the surface of the mushroom is felt, while in young specimens it is smooth. When ripe, pits and protrusions appear on the outside, the color becomes light brown, yellowish. The pulp is white, in older fruits it is grayish with yellowish veins. The mushrooms have a nutty aroma. The older the fruit, the stronger the smell. “Tubers” are found in Vladimir, Smolensk, and Kuibyshev forests from late July to early November.
Where does truffle grow in Russia?
If you are interested in where truffles grow in Russia, then go to the Volga region, Vladimir, Nizhny Novgorod, Oryol, Samara, Leningrad regions of the country. The ripening period is all autumn months, the fruiting time is the end of autumn and the beginning of winter. The fruits are small in size - about 15 cm, weigh up to 500 g, and grow at a depth of 10-15 cm.
The black variety is considered a summer delicacy. It is found in the Caucasus, on the Black Sea coast, in the Moscow and Vladimir regions. Black specimens like to develop in deciduous and mixed forests with limestone soil, near the roots of oak, beech, hornbeam, and hazel. The diameter of white fruits is up to 10 cm. Ripening and fruiting time is early summer - late autumn.
european part of Russia
Both black (Russian) and white (Polish) fruits are found. The first variety breeds on Podolsk, Belgorod, Tver, Leningrad soil. The Voronezh forest is famous for its large number of delicacies. Near St. Petersburg, black mushrooms are rare, but the white variety grows on Oryol and Tula soil. Remember that the warmer the climate, the greater the likelihood of finding a treat.
Caucasus and Crimea
These areas are known for their mild climate: there is everything for the active growth of the delicacy. There are many oak and beech groves concentrated here, which is favorable for the development of mushrooms. Large quantities are found on the Crimean land (steppe regions), the Northern and Western Caucasus, and in North Ossetia - Alania. It is worth highlighting Anapa, Gelendzhik, the village of Abrau-Dyurso, Western Caucasus: Adagum-Pshishsky district.
Delicacy mushrooms in Siberia
Many people, wondering where real expensive white truffles grow in Russia, do not suspect that the delicacy can grow on Siberian soil. The delicacy was first discovered in these places in the 19th century. The fruits grow both singly and in groups; they like to be located in deciduous and coniferous forests. Many porcini mushrooms are found on Tomsk soil. Recently, residents of the region began to collect kilograms of fruits, which is explained by favorable climatic conditions and active fruiting.
How to look for truffles
To find a truffle in the forest, you need to have special knowledge. They are found near tree roots: often found near oak trees. Try to look for fruits not in clearings. Based on practice, such areas are not distinguished by a large number of mushrooms. It is desirable to have black soil with high humidity. Before you go searching, consider the following:
- Examine the fruits in advance, live or in photographs.
- Prepare to search for animals: specially trained pigs or dogs are suitable.
For a “silent hunt” to be successful, focus on some features of the area. The rules for mushroom picking are as follows:
- The “truffle” region, where the delicacy is located, is distinguished by stunted vegetation and gray-ashy soil.
- Mushrooms rarely come to the surface of the soil (sometimes this happens due to strong winds or heavy rains), so look for them in the ground at a depth of 10-15 cm.
- Pay attention to the tubercles, they should be dug out.
- Midges often circle over a place with mushrooms: the larvae feed on mushrooms, so the insects lay eggs nearby.
Features of growth
A favorable place for the development of truffles is a large number of tree roots and soil with loose soil with a large amount of sand and lime. Experienced mushroom pickers say that if you find one specimen, then you need to continue looking for several more nearby. Typically, you can find about 5 pieces. Often truffle develops in families, rarely - alone.
Searching for truffles in the forest
People have been collecting unusual mushrooms for many years. It is important to consider that there are false and real mushrooms. To return home with the desired loot, it is important to follow special technology:
- Go to the forest where there are beeches, birches, oaks, and hazels.
- Look for fruits near trees with large roots.
- If the search is carried out with the help of pigs, then they should be muzzled, because the animals really love to feast on mushrooms.
- Keep in mind the type of plant: its surface is rough, the flesh has a hard structure. The fruits resemble potato tubers in black or white shades.
Truffle hunting animals
Mushrooms have a very strong odor, which animals can easily detect even from a distance. For this reason, experienced mushroom pickers prefer to keep specially trained dogs or pigs. The latter are able to smell at a distance of 25 meters. Once the aroma is determined, the pig will actively dig for the delicacy. If there is no muzzle, then you need to make sure that the pig does not eat what you find.
As for dogs, they are indifferent to eating treats, so it is not necessary to put on a muzzle before searching. Before using these four-legged “sleuths,” it will take a long time to teach the rules of searching for mushrooms. The dog needs to be trained to smell. If you are planning to buy a trained dog, keep in mind that it costs more than 5,000 euros.
Growing truffles at home
The delicacy is grown at home. If you take into account the recommendations listed above, you will eventually get a great treat:
- It is first necessary to create a suitable microclimate, which should be the same in summer and winter. The mushroom does not like temperature changes.
- Start purchasing trees: oak, walnut, beech. The roots of the trees must be infected with truffle mycelium. The price of the version with disputes is 10-15 dollars.
- Choose places to plant trees: they should be protected from direct sunlight, wind, and animals.
- Pay attention to the soil, it should be alkaline. If necessary, add lime to the soil.
- Do not use any fertilizers before planting trees because they may negatively affect the development of spores.
- Plant purchased trees only after cultivating and preparing the soil. It is advisable to do this in early spring, when the weather outside is stable.
- Plant the tree in a 75 cm hole: pour water and only then place the plant in it.
- When planting, try not to damage the root system of the tree. Cover them with soil very carefully, then water them generously.
- Sprinkle mulch around the root system of the tree at a distance of 30-40 cm: use oak leaves from last year.
- The plants are covered with greenhouse film.
- To feed trees, use special ready-made fertilizers (how to use them is indicated on the packages).
The truffle, a seemingly unremarkable but very desirable mushroom, was first noticed in France in the 4th century. Louis - the Sun King - XIV even organized entire royal trips in search of truffles - something akin to royal hunting, but for mushrooms.
The truffle mushroom is known not only for its specific and very attractive aroma, but, as they say, for its more piquant properties. It is believed to be a powerful aphrodisiac for male power.
What does truffle smell and taste like?
The truffle tastes like undercooked potatoes, and the texture too. The truffle mushroom smells extremely unusual and is different for each person. All because of the content of androstenol in its composition (a substance that is actively used in perfumery). For many, the smell of truffle is extremely pleasant, for some, on the contrary, it resembles the smell of worn socks or sweat, and some people do not even feel any smell at all.Truffle is one of the most expensive mushrooms from the genus of marsupial fungi. And due to the very limited “circulation”, almost everyone believes that truffle dishes are worth their money to the last cent. Anyone, for sure, will not refuse to try a truffle, and even if the mushroom does not come from Piedmont or Alba for 4 thousand euros/kilo, but from the forest near Smolensk or Vladimir, then we will not be disappointed, but on the contrary, we will try to find more there. There are many more, you just need to know the places.
How to find truffle mushroom
The truffle is a small tuber that grows underground and only occasionally comes to the surface. It hides under leaves and soil, but some forest dwellers love it very much and unmistakably find it. Pigs or specially trained dogs usually help search for truffles. It will take quite a long time to train a dog, and buying an already trained one is extremely expensive. But pigs don’t even need to be trained. Since truffle contains truffle sulfide, which attracts pigs, as well as androstenol, which is a sex pheromone in pigs.
Truffles can be summer or winter, depending on the duration of their growth. Winter ones have a brighter aroma, they are larger, they are looked for in the summer, and even better - in the fall, so they will become larger. In Russia, the largest mushrooms are considered to be the size of a walnut, but this is a rare occurrence; usually they are even smaller here. In addition, they differ in color - white, black and even red. The most expensive in the world are white Piedmontese and Perigord truffles.
There are 42 varieties of this mushroom in the world, and only a dozen species are valued in haute cuisine. You can also find truffles in Morocco, where they are sold along the road like nuts or chestnuts, and in the Maghreb they are fried with butter and onions like oyster mushrooms. That is, there are a sea of truffle varieties, but culinary “pearls,” as they should be, are few and far between.
The truffle grows and spreads more readily in warm temperate climates. The soil should always be moist, and the roots of the tree on which it usually grows should be deep and strong. The original homeland of the mushroom was Italy and France, but now it is grown in both Austria and China, and most importantly, it can also be found in central Russia. White winter truffle was found in the Moscow, Smolensk, Tver, Oryol, Vladimir and Tula regions. The warmer and milder the climatic conditions in the forest, the greater the likelihood of finding a mushroom.
First, you need to use the exclusion method - this mushroom is quite capricious in terms of choosing a neighborhood; it grows near the rhizomes of hornbeams, beech trees, hazel trees, but most of all it likes oak. So the oak grove is the place where you can confidently go in search of him. But it can also be found under birch and hawthorn - the main thing is that the forest is deciduous, the soil is calcareous, and the ground in this place does not freeze too deeply.
Black (Russian) truffles are collected in summer or early autumn. It usually grows close to the surface. Black winter, rare for our region, is usually harvested in early spring, in March and April. White truffle, which is not so highly prized in cooking, can be found early in the fall and before the onset of winter.
What to look for when searching for truffles
● To begin with, carefully study the photographs, signs and characteristics of the mushroom. It is somewhat reminiscent of a potato with a soft core.● Acorns falling from oak trees are especially popular with forest pigs and wild boars. But the smell of truffles attracts them much more, and therefore under some trees you can see dug up soil. It is very likely that the animal was trying to dig up the mushroom or dug it up. Which means there may be more there.
● Specially trained animals - dogs and pigs - smell the aroma and show mushroom pickers where to look. In theory, the pig searches for it intuitively, unlike a dog, which needs to be trained in advance.
● It is better to muzzle the pig in advance, as it may eat the mushroom. If there is no muzzle, be more careful and have time to pull away from the found treat. It is worth noting that they can smell truffles at a distance of 25 meters.
● Mushrooms emit their strongest aroma during sunset, when coolness begins to rise from the ground. This is like an additional guide for the animal accompanying you.
● You can also focus on a swarm of small midges that hover over the place where the mushroom grows.
● Small tubercles covered with leaves and soil should be carefully excavated and checked.
● If there are no tubercles, dig as carefully as possible, since the truffle grows 10-15 cm underground.
● If you find at least one small tuber, do not stop searching - usually these mushrooms grow in families and almost never - one at a time.
● Most often, a “fishy” place is distinguished by sparse vegetation, loose earth of a gray-ash color.
How to grow truffle mushroom
To grow a truffle, you need to find or create a place where the temperature will remain at a relatively constant level all year round. This could be a greenhouse or a warm place in the forest (but take into account the risk that wild boars will come and eat everything).Now you need to buy trees whose roots are infected with mycelium. These can be walnut, beech, and oak seedlings. The average price is from 10 to 20 $.
As mentioned earlier, these mushrooms love chalky soil. You need to add it to the soil yourself or buy special fertilizers for truffles.
You should not use any other fertilizers before planting, because the mycelium simply will not develop.
Trees are planted in early spring after frost, when no sudden temperature changes are expected.
The bed in which the tree is planted should be 70-80 cm. First, water is poured into it, and then the plant is planted. You need to be as careful as possible with its roots. The top of the tree is covered with greenhouse film.
If all conditions are met, the first mushroom harvest will be harvested in 5 years. After another 10 years, the yield will reach its maximum - from 1000 sq. m. you will collect up to 5 kg of truffles. Considering that the cost of 1 kilo of truffle in Russia is up to 100 thousand rubles, we can calculate the expected profit - up to 500 thousand rubles per year.
Video of how black truffle is grown and harvested
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