What makes truffles costly is not mainly because of its taste but as a result of its rarity. There are simply a few number of places in the world where this kind of mushroom can be located including Europe-France, Italy, Slovenia and Croatia. There are also other types found in the US, specifically in Oregon and Washington, in addition to in Asia including Middle East and North Africa.

Like other mushrooms, there are various types of truffles. These types determine mainly their appearance, size, color, shape, texture and its price in the market. Among these types, the most expensive and rare type is the White Truffle. Also called, Alba Madonna, this truffle type is usually found in Italy, specifically in around the city of Alba and also available in Croatia. Usually, the White Truffle is found in hazel, poplar, beech and oak trees.

With its flesh color which range from pale cream or brown, truffles usually grow during autumn months and every one can grow old 12 centimeter in diameter and could weigh 500 grams.

Alongside the White Truffle is called the Black truffle or the Black Perigord Truffle. This is in addition quite expensive as this variety can only be located in the Perigord region in France. It is also found in oak trees unlike other types that can be located in other sorts of trees.

Black Truffles are hunted from late autumn to early winter. During these seasons, Black Truffles grow at their best ranging from 7 to 9 centimeters in diameter and could weigh from 80 grams to 100.

As a result of the rarity of this mushroom, the production of Black Truffles has been created almost exclusively in the European states. Black truffles are sold for about 1,000€ per kilo when bought in the farmer’s market. Its price could go double at 3,490€ per kilo when bought from a retailer. Read the rest of this entry »

Tuber Magnatum – Italian White Truffle

The Italian white truffle (Tuber magnatum) is found primarily below 600 meters ASL in Northern Italy and up to 900 meters ASL in Central Italy. It is also found in small areas of south-eastern France, in Istria, Croatia, and the Ticino district of Switzerland.

The mean January temperatures in these areas range from -2 to 8°C and mean July temperatures from 18 to 26°C. The mean annual precipitation varies from 500 to 2000 mm, which is spread more or less evenly throughout the year. Though in summer, this rain is usually as thunderstorms.

In Italy, this truffle is found in woods with more or less closed canopies, also in areas with relatively sparse vegetation along stream beds. Host trees include the hazelnut (Corylus avellana), willows (Salix spp.), hop hornbeam (Ostrya carpinifolia), Italian alder (Alnus cordata), poplars and aspens (Populus spp.) and oaks (Quercus spp.). The most productive hosts are poplars and willows.

The Italian truffle is harvested from mid August until the end of December. In August and early September, the fruiting truffles are usually severely infested by insect larvae such as Suillia univittata.

Unlike the black truffle, the Italian truffle is used either uncooked or added to dishes after cooking. The white truffle is used as flavouring for salads or pasta, to retain its delicate and volatile aroma. As the black truffle is usually used in cooked dishes and is harvested between November and March, there is little competition in the marketplace between the two types of truffles.

Tuber magnatum (Italian white truffle) is the most expensive of the truffles. It is considered to be the queen of all truffles while the black truffle is considered king in gastronomic circles. Read the rest of this entry »

So after doing all of the above correctly, there are still no guarantees that your black winter truffle farm will ever produce a single truffle. Even thou science has taken this once dodgy farming technique and has turned it into a very profitable type of farming, it does not mean that you will automatically reap a bunch of highly priced black winter truffles. A lot depends on your truffle tree type. Much also depends on the quality of the original black winter truffle tree sapling to begin with. A good inoculation and a good sapling is probably the secret to a successful black truffle farm. Here in Spain, your black truffle trees come with a certificate of inoculation.

A certificate of inoculation is a certificate stating what type of truffle is inoculated on the trees roots and the percentage of the truffle mycelium. If you want a tree that produces black winter truffles ( tuber melanosporum ), make sure the certificate states just that. Some people have planted black truffle trees on their farm and left it to defend for itself. They show up years later to see how things are going. Surprisingly, some of these black truffle farms do quite well. Seems that leaving mother nature to take her due course works very well sometimes. But it is not a technique I would not recommend. Weeds can quickly out grow your small saplings the first couple of years, so weed removal is imperative. A wild boar could somehow get into your farm and ruin it, by up lifting trees and just being the destructive animal that it is. Read the rest of this entry »