Truffle is a marsupial mushroom, forming an underground tuberous fleshy fruit body. Grows in the woods. It is a saprophyte. Mycelium forms filaments that envelop the roots of a nearby tree. The mushroom helps the tree to obtain additional moisture and protects it from diseases of a microbial nature.
Mycelium is durable provided that it is not destroyed. In a favorable environment, it periodically forms fruiting bodies, which contain spores that contribute to further reproduction. In terrestrial fungi, spores are carried by wind and water. And in the underground fungus, reproduction depends on the animals that eat it, digest it and isolate the remains in which the spores will be located.
Truffle mushroom gives off a characteristic smell to attract animals. Not all species are edible. There are varieties of fungus that exude the "aroma" of rotten herring.
The most valuable is Perigorsk. It is fragrant, black, warty on the outside, reddish black or dark gray inside, with streaks of lighter color. It grows in southern France and northern Italy, mainly in beech and oak groves. It is of great industrial importance. No wonder it is called the "black diamond" and "moody prince." The French consider truffle mushroom as their national product. Photos show it well.
Trinity truffle, or Polish white, is slightly less valuable. The pulp of its fruiting body is light, looks like a potato. It grows in forests in western Europe, and is found in Russia, for example, in the Moscow region.
The truffle mushroom develops and ripens underground at a depth of 5 to 20 cm. These mushrooms grow several pieces side by side, forming a nest. In some cases, part of the fungus is visible from the ground. Its size can range from hazelnut to good potato, occasionally there are specimens weighing more than 1 kg.
Once in Italy, found a mushroom truffle, weighing 720 grams. It was sold at auction for 210 thousand dollars. This fact confirms the prevailing opinion that this is the most expensive mushroom in the world.
There is evidence that regular consumption of truffle mushroom can prolong youth. Unfortunately, it does not lend itself to cultivation, although many attempts have been made to do this.
To find this amazing mushroom, you can resort to the help of a trained pig or dog. Pigs have a natural sense of truffle, but so that she herself does not eat the find, she is pre-trained. For this work, females at the age of 4 months are selected. Having found the mushroom a truffle, the pig begins to dig the ground with a hoof, they drive it away, they give some treats, for example, boiled beans, as a consolation. Trained pigs have been working for 10 years or more. The disadvantage of these bloodhounds is that they quickly get tired. A dog can look for a long time, but only poodles are suitable for this work.
There is another way to determine the location of the fungus. It is worth watching the truffle flies. During sunset, they circle a whole swarm above the ground and lay eggs only near these mushrooms so that the larvae feed on fruiting bodies. In what place the swarm sits, there you need to dig.
Of these amazing mushrooms, various dishes are prepared for which gourmets are ready to pay any money.
