Many have heard about this amazing mushroom. We know that this mushroom grows somewhere underground, and without the help of four-legged helpers (pigs or dogs) it is almost impossible to find. Perhaps this is where our knowledge ends. But what is truffle? What are the types? Why is he so good?
Some Truffle Information
Truffles belong to the genus of marsupials with underground tuberoid fruit bodies. The closest relatives of the truffles are morels.
Truffles are commonly found in deciduous forests. The truffle mycelium (mycelium) forms with the roots of the plant under which it grows a stable mutually beneficial association called mycorrhiza. In total, there are nine types of truffles that grow in different parts of the world, and each species prefers its own species of tree. Truffles are sometimes called mushrooms that have similar fruiting bodies, which can also be eaten, but they are much lower than real ones. There is also an inedible kind of truffle for people - deer, which is eaten by deer and some rodents.
By the way, a person is not able to find the place where the truffle is. The mushroom (where this forest delicacy grows, only animals can identify) has a specific smell. Usually, specially trained dogs and pigs are brought in for this purpose.
What does truffle taste like? How is it different from ordinary mushrooms? This truffle has its own unique aroma and taste. It resembles at the same time well-roasted seeds, and walnuts, wild berries, moss, fallen leaves - this is what a truffle is. The water in which you need to place the truffle for a while becomes like soy sauce.
According to historians, the ancient Sumerians knew what truffle is, how to get it and eat it. In ancient Greece and ancient Rome, the healing properties were attributed to this fungus, and it was used for witchcraft purposes by medieval alchemists and magicians. But they gained the greatest popularity during the reign of Louis XIV. Truffles came to Russia after the Patriotic War of 1812.
Types of Truffles Growing in Europe
In Europe, the following types of truffles are found:
- Summer (also called black Russian) truffle. It has a tuberous or rounded fruit body of brown-black or bluish-black color. It usually grows under the roots of birch, oak, hornbeam, beech. Distributed almost throughout Europe up to Scandinavia (including in Russia). Not as valuable as other types of truffles, but also considered a delicacy.
- Winter truffle. Its shell (peridium) is covered with polygonal or thyroid formations. The mushroom has a reddish-purple or black color. It is found mainly in Italy, France, Switzerland. It smells like musk.
- Italian truffle. Despite its name, it is also found in France and other European countries. Fruits are painted in a light ocher or brownish color. It has a pleasant spicy smell, and tastes like garlic cheese. It is used, as a rule, in raw form.
- Black (also called perigorsk historical region in France) truffle. The mushroom, the price of which reaches 1000 € per kilogram, has a color from reddish-brown to black-purple. It can be used both cooked and raw as a seasoning.
By the way, truffles can be grown, although not in the same way as, for example, champignons. As far back as the 19th century, it was noticed that if acorns were planted from the oak tree under which truffles grow, then these mushroom delicacies will also grow under the roots of the new tree. In France, where they well know what truffle is, at one time 750 km 2 were planted with such groves, from which it was possible to harvest 1000 tons of these delicacies. Unfortunately, this process is very lengthy. It takes about 30 years to get a full crop, after which the number of truffles collected drops sharply.
