Tuber melanosporum, Perigord black truffle, the black winter truffle.
About half of the world’s species of edible mushrooms grow in a symbiotic relationship on the roots a number of trees. These are mycorrhizal mushrooms and they some of the world’s most expensive foods. A few of them have established worldwide markets measured in millions of dollars while others are only known locally.
Probably the best known mycorrhizal mushroom is the The Black Truffle ( Périgord black truffle, Tuber melanosporum, the black winter truffle ). This type of mushroom is found in the forests thru out different areas of Spain, southern France, and down to central Italy. This truffle is found on the roots of trees from the oak family – the holm oak, downy oak or the hazel nut tree. Like all truffles, the black winter truffle produces its fruiting body underground. Usually, truffles are hunted with the aid of a good truffle hunting dog. The fruiting body of a black truffle is roundish and covered with small diamond-shaped markings. They could be compared somewhat to a smelly ugly black potato. This truffle is considered to be the best edible mushroom and has won its a place along side the finer foods of life. The mycorrhizal mushrooms are seasonal, do not preserve well and are best eaten fresh.
The black winter truffle is used widely in gourmet cooking where it either imparts a flavour of its own or enhances the flavour of other foods it is cooked with. Some of the typical dishes include pasta, paté de foie gras, truffled eggs or flavoring meat dishes. Truffled eggs can be made by simply placing half a dozen of eggs with a small black winter truffle in a plastic container in the fridge overnight. The aroma of the black winter truffle is so powerful that it is able to penetrate through the fragile egg shell and flavor the egg yolk inside.
Market Yields
At the turn of the 19th century, roughly 1500-2000 tons of the black winter truffle were harvested in Europe. Since then, the truffle harvest has steadily declined. Here in Europe, a good black winter truffle harvest will only yield 150 tons and a poor one, less than 50 tonnes.
Cultivation
The optimum requirements for establishing a black winter truffle farm (truffle plantation) are:
* a free draining, high pH (above 7.0, with an optimum soil of 7.9 up till 8.5), well aerated soil with a well defined structure, about 500 mm deep overlying a limestone base.
* the absence of other trees that may have competing fungi on their roots.
* warm summers and cool winters.
* irrigation water.
Once your trees have been planted, it usually takes 5 to 7 years before your will find your 1st black winter truffle. That will be a magical moment when you know that all your work hasn’t been in vain. In today’s world, dogs are used to hunt for the elusive black truffle rather than the female sow, that was used just some years ago.
Tags: truffles