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Most Russians are used to calling truffles chocolate candies with a characteristic bitter taste. However, these candies got their name because of resemblance With unusual mushrooms. The latter are considered expensive, they are especially appreciated by gourmets. When looking 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, then you need to figure out what climatic conditions suit them.

What is a truffle

Truffles are fungi of the marsupial genus, which have underground tuberous fleshy fruiting bodies. Unsightly appearance does not match their excellent taste and aroma. Having tasted a delicacy, you will remember it for a lifetime. He smells autumn forest: fallen leaves, earth, wet trees. Fresh truffles have a very strong aroma. Even if cooking is not your passion, making truffles is not difficult.

The mushroom is located underground between the roots of beech, hornbeam, oak, birch, poplar, elm, linden, mountain ash, hawthorn and other trees. As it develops, it draws all vital elements from the roots, without causing any harm to the tree. Truffles love deciduous, mixed forests, earth with lime. Ripening time - 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, Orel, Vladimir, Samara, Leningrad regions, in the Caucasus and the Black Sea coast.

What does a truffle mushroom look like?

Fruiting bodies are round, tuberous in shape, have a fleshy, cartilaginous texture. In terms of size, it ranges from a hazelnut to a potato tuber. Outside, fruiting bodies have a leathery layer - peridium. It is smooth, cracked, or covered with large polyhedral warts. If you cut the fruiting body, then the fabric pattern will resemble marble. The shiny truffle inside has alternating light and dark veins: light ones are called “internal veins”, dark ones are called “external veins”.

Why the truffle is the most expensive mushroom in the world

Truffles are called royal mushrooms - one of the most expensive. You can find vendors offering a kilo worth over $4,000. The value of the product is explained by its rarity, unsurpassed taste and aroma. French and Italian have become famous all over the world. There are two capitals of truffles - these are Grignan and Aqualagna: here the fruits are harvested almost all year round: in autumn - white, in winter - black, in spring - banchetto, in summer - black summer.

White fruits are exquisite. They cannot be bred, they grow in very limited areas. For example, in Piedmont, mushrooms are found only in Lang, sometimes they are found in Monferrato, Roero, around Turin. The high price of such products is due to high demand and low supply. They are seasonal, they are on sale from October to January (the price depends on the variety). The most expensive delicacy is just white. Once a product weighing 1.2 kg was exhibited and sold at an Italian auction, its price was 95,000 euros.

Do truffles grow in Russia

Russian truffle is called 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. When ripe, the fruiting body changes in consistency: in young mushrooms it is dense, in old ones it is loose. The taste of truffle is slightly sweet, the aroma is reminiscent of hazelnuts, algae. There is a delicacy in Europe, the western part of Russia, under pines, hazel, oak. The fruits can be found from June to October.

Summer black (Tuber aestivum)

This type of fruit is commonly 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, rarely located near birches, pines. Often they are found in the south-west 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 hue on the outside, after harvesting the color darkens and turns black. The flesh of the truffle is white, then turns gray and becomes gray-violet with many white, yellowish veins. The mass of such a fruit can be more than a kilogram. It often grows in Ukrainian, French, Italian lands. Ideal places for plants are birch, oak groves, beech forests. Active fruiting - from November to March. The aroma of truffle is reminiscent of musk.

white truffle

The price of the product is much higher than the previous ones. It resembles Jerusalem artichoke tubers 5-15 cm in size. Weight can be more than 1.5 kg. If you go for mature truffles, then keep in mind that the surface of the fungus is felt, in young specimens it is even. When ripe, pits and protrusions appear on the outside, the color becomes light brown, yellowish. The pulp is white, in old fruits it is grayish with yellowish veins. Mushrooms have a nutty flavor. The older the fruit, the stronger the smell. "Tubens" are found in the Vladimir, Smolensk, 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 region countries. The ripening period is all autumn months, the fruiting time is the end of autumn, the beginning of winter. The fruits are small in size - about 15 cm, weigh up to 500 g, grow at a depth of 10-15 cm.

The black variety is considered a summer treat. 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, hazel. The diameter of white fruits is up to 10 cm. The time of ripening and fruiting is early summer - late autumn.

european part of Russia

They find both black (Russian) and white (Polish) fruits. The first variety breeds on the Podolsk, Belgorod, Tver, Leningrad lands. Voronezh forest is famous big amount delicacy. Near St. Petersburg, black mushrooms are rare, but the white variety grows on Oryol, Tula land. Remember that the warmer the climate, the more likely it is to find a treat.

Caucasus and Crimea

These areas are known for their mild climate: there is everything for the active growth of the delicacy. A lot of oak and beech groves are concentrated here, which is favorable for the development of mushrooms. A large number are found on the Crimean land (steppe regions), the Northern and Western Caucasus, in North Ossetia - Alania. It is worth highlighting Anapa, Gelendzhik, the village of Abrau-Dyurso, Western Caucasus: Adagum-Pshishsky district.

Delicious 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. For the first time, a delicacy was 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 white mushrooms are found on Tomsk land. IN Lately residents of the region began to collect fruits in kilograms, 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 the roots of trees: often found near oaks. Try to look for fruits not in clearings. Based on practice, such areas do not differ in a large number of mushrooms. It is desirable that there be black soil with high humidity. Before you go searching, consider the following:

  • In advance, consider the fruits live or in photographs.
  • Prepare to search for animals: specially trained pigs or dogs will do.

To " silent hunting” was successful, be guided by some features of the area. The mushroom picking rules are as follows:

  • The "truffle" area, where the delicacy is located, is distinguished by stunted vegetation, gray-ashy soil.
  • Mushrooms rarely come to the surface of the soil (sometimes this happens due to strong wind 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 up.
  • Midges often circle over a place with mushrooms: the larvae feed on mushrooms, so insects lay their eggs nearby.

Growth features

A favorable place for the development of truffles is a large number of tree roots and soil with loose soil with a lot of sand, lime. Experienced mushroom pickers say that if you find one specimen, then you need to keep looking for a few more nearby. As a rule, you can find about 5 pieces. Often truffle develops in families, rarely - alone.

Looking for truffles in the forest

Unusual mushrooms people have been collecting for many years. It is important to consider that there are false and real mushroom. To return home with the desired prey, it is important to follow a special technology:

  • Go to the forest where there are beeches, birches, oaks, hazel.
  • Look for fruits near trees with large roots.
  • If the search is made with the help of pigs, then they should be put on a muzzle, because animals are very fond of eating mushrooms.
  • Keep in mind the type of plant: its surface is rough, the flesh with a solid structure. The fruits resemble potato tubers in black or white shades.

Animals for finding truffles

Mushrooms have a very strong smell, which animals can easily catch even at 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. After 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 is found.

As for dogs, they are indifferent to eating treats, so it is not necessary to wear a muzzle before searching. Before using these four-legged “detectives”, it will take a long time to teach the rules for finding mushrooms. The dog needs to be trained for the smell. If you are going to buy a trained dog, then 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 above recommendations, then over time you will get a great treat:

  1. First you need to create a suitable microclimate, which should be the same in summer and winter. The fungus does not like temperature changes.
  2. Start buying trees: oak, walnut, beech. Tree roots must be infected with truffle mycelium. The price of the variant with disputes is 10-15 dollars.
  3. Choose places for planting trees: they must be protected from direct sunlight, wind, animals.
  4. Pay attention to the soil, it must be alkaline. Add lime to the ground if necessary.
  5. Do not use fertilizer of any kind before planting the trees, as they may interfere with the development of spores.
  6. Only after processing and preparing the soil, plant the acquired trees. It is advisable to do this in early spring when the weather outside is stable.
  7. Plant a tree in a 75 cm hole: pour water and only then place the plant in it.
  8. Try not to damage when landing root system tree. Cover them with earth very carefully, then pour plenty of water.
  9. Sprinkle mulch around the root system of the tree at a distance of 30-40 cm: use oak leaves from last year.
  10. Plants are covered with a film for greenhouses.
  11. To feed trees, use special ready-made fertilizers (the method of their application is indicated on the packages).

truffle photo

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Where real expensive truffles grow in Russia - places of growth of black and white

Truffle is a favorite mushroom of all gourmets, proudly bearing the title of the most expensive product in its category. It is valuable for three factors at once: amazing taste, beneficial features and aphrodisiac qualities. Next, we offer a closer look at this fungus. First, we will tell and show in the photo what a truffle looks like, what are its features and what are its varieties. And then we will figure out how to pick the mushroom correctly and where it grows in Russia. But first things first.

The fruit body of the truffle has a rounded or tuberous shape and in its dimensions the advantage resembles a nut. In rare cases, the mushroom is so large that it looks like a full-fledged potato. The outer layer of the truffle can be either smooth, or cut with small cracks, or covered with multifaceted warts. In cross section, the fungus has a pronounced marble texture, which is formed by the interweaving of light "internal veins" and dark "external veins". Numerous spore bags are located on these veins.

Truffles are primarily known for their culinary properties. They are actively used in many national cuisines for the preparation of sauces, pates, fillings for all kinds of pastries, as well as as an addition to seafood or poultry. Often the mushroom is served as an independent dish.


Truffle is valuable and useful mushroom

Another feature of truffles - useful composition. Mushrooms contain:

  • vitamins of groups C, B and PP;
  • vegetable proteins;
  • antioxidants;
  • fiber;
  • carbohydrates;
  • minerals.

Truffle juice is useful for various kinds eye diseases, and mushroom pulp effectively helps to relieve the pain of gout. It is known that mature mushrooms contain a small amount of anandamide, which has a calming effect on nervous system. In addition, truffles contain strong pheromones that improve the emotional background of a person.

Important! There are no serious contraindications for truffles, but their use is possible only if two conditions are met: the absence of an allergy to penicillin and the freshness of the product.

Types of truffles

There are more than a hundred varieties of truffles in the world, which are classified according to three factors: biological group, gastronomic value, geographical group. The most common among them are the following mushrooms:


Growing and harvesting truffles

The search and collection of mushrooms is very difficult, as truffles are rarely shown on the surface of the soil. And they do not grow in all countries. So, in Russia there are only some types of mushrooms:

  • Black summer - grow on the Black Sea and in the Caucasus, mainly in deciduous forests. Often settle in the root system of beech or oak. You can collect them all summer season and at the very beginning of autumn.
  • Black winter - most often found in the Caucasus in forest areas with calcareous soils. Ripe from January to March.
  • White - grow in several regions of Russia at once: Moscow, Tula, Smolensk, Oryol. They ripen from mid-autumn to early winter, but the most suitable picking period is the second half of October.

Advice. You can recognize the area of ​​active growth of truffles by the state of the ground and vegetation: the soil in such zones is gray-ashy in color, and the vegetation is somewhat stunted. Also, mushrooms can "give out" numerous midges above the earth tubercles, under which the fruits are hidden.

Truffles are searched for with the help of trained pigs or dogs: mushrooms have a strong specific smell that animals can smell even at a great distance. A kind of "hunting" is recommended to be carried out at night.


Dogs help look for truffles

Mushrooms should be consumed within 3-4 days after harvest. Only freezing or canning will help increase the shelf life of the product.

As you can see, the high cost of a truffle fully justifies its advantages: unique taste qualities, a wide maneuver for culinary experiments, positive influence on the human body. And no matter how difficult the processes of searching, collecting and storing a mushroom are, all these difficulties absolutely pale in comparison with the valuable properties of the product.

Finding truffles in Russia: video

truffle ( tuber) is the most expensive mushroom in the world, a rare and delicious delicacy with unique taste and strong specific aroma. The mushroom got its name due to the similarity of its fruiting body with potato tubers or cones (Latin phrase terrae tuber corresponds to the concept of "earth cones"). The truffle mushroom belongs to the department Ascomycetes, subdivision Pezizomycotina, to the class Petsitsevye, to the order Petsitsevye, to the truffle family, to the genus of truffles.

Surprisingly, the pig is able to smell the truffle at a distance of 20-25 meters. Then she begins to zealously dig out the delicacy, so the main task of the mushroom picker is to distract the animal as soon as it “makes a stand” on the mushroom.

The pig is looking for truffles

For dogs, the truffle itself is absolutely not interesting in terms of food, but these four-legged “detectives” have to be trained for a long time in order to train for the truffle smell.

By the way, a good mushroom picker dog today can cost more than 5,000 euros.

Dog looking for truffles

The unique culinary properties of truffles have long been known. They are suitable for making pâtés, sauces and fillings for pies, and as an accompaniment to poultry and seafood dishes. Sometimes they can be served as an independent dish. Truffle can be harvested for future use by freezing or canning in high-quality cognac.

The composition of the truffle includes vegetable proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins of groups B, PP and C, various minerals, antioxidants, pheromones that improve emotional state human and a large amount of fiber. Truffle juice is good for some eye diseases, and the pulp of the fungus brings relief to people suffering from gout. There are no special contraindications for eating these mushrooms, the main condition is the freshness of the fungus and the absence of allergic reactions to penicillin in humans.

  • It is believed that mature truffles contain anandamide, a substance that acts on the human nervous system in the same way as marijuana.
  • Truffle hunting is carried out at night due to the fact that in the cool air search dogs or pigs better capture the aroma of mushrooms.
  • Earlier in Italy, the search and collection of truffles was carried out by specially trained pigs. However, due to the fact that they not only severely destroy the upper soil layer, but also strive to eat prey, they were replaced by dogs.
  • In Russia, before the revolution of 1917, bears were used to search for truffles, whose teeth had previously been removed.
  • Truffle is considered a strong aphrodisiac.

Russian black truffle in Crimea

Recently, I have been quite often asked the question - are there real black truffles in Russia after all? Not white, which are Choiromyces meandriformis, but black ones, i.e. true representatives of the genus Truffle (Tuber).

And as Vladimir Ilyich, I answer - there is such a party! I mean, like a mushroom.

Disputes about the reality of the Russian black truffle (or, as it is also called, summer) are conducted mainly because it is rare in all its habitats, and most importantly, they do not know how to look for it at all. Unlike white truffle it is much less willing to crawl out to the surface, and it is much worse visible because of the color. It hurts well to hide if you don't understand :)

Nevertheless, on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus and in the newfound Crimea, it grows in quantities quite sufficient for collection. Personally, this fall I myself will once again go to the Crimea for harvesting. Perhaps this will become a media campaign involving bloggers (now being discussed).

So, below I will give basic information on BRT so that information about this fungus becomes more accessible.

NAME

Russian Truffle black Russian

Synonyms:

Summer truffle, edible truffle, Burgundy truffle

lat. Tuber aestivum Vittad. (1831)

Synonyms:

Tuber albidum Cesalpino (1583)

Tuber blotii Deslongchamps (1824)

Tuber cibarium Sowerby (1797)

Tuber nigrum Allioni (1785)

Tuber uncinatum Chatin (1887)

SYSTEMATICS

The fungus belongs to the genus Truffle (lat. Tuber) of the Truffle family (lat. Tuberaceae). Refers to the so-called ascomycetes, or marsupials. Its close relatives are morels and stitches. The full taxonomic position of the black Russian truffle is as follows:

Kingdom: Mykota (Mushrooms)

Department: Ascomycota (Ascomycetes, Marsupials)ber

Subdivision: Pezizomycotina

Class: Pezizomycetes

Order: Pezizales (Pezizales)

Family: Tuberaceae (Truffle)

Genus: Tuber (Truffle)

Species: Tu ber aestivum (Black Russian truffle)

DESCRIPTION

Fruit bodies 2.5-10 cm in diameter, bluish-black, black-brown, surface with large pyramidal black-brown warts. The pulp is first yellowish-white or grayish, later brownish or yellow-brown, with numerous whitish veins forming a characteristic marble pattern, very dense at first, more loose in older mushrooms. The taste of the pulp is nutty, sweetish, the smell is pleasant, strong, sometimes it is compared with the smell of algae or forest litter. Fruiting bodies are underground, usually occur at shallow depths, old mushrooms sometimes appear above the surface.

Spore powder yellow-brown, spores 30 × 24 microns, fusiform or oval, reticulate.

It forms mycorrhiza with oak, beech, hornbeam and other broad-leaved species, less often with birches, even more rarely with pines, grows shallow (3-15 cm, although sometimes up to 30 cm) in the soil in deciduous and mixed forests, mainly on calcareous soils.

In different regions of the Russian Federation, truffles ripen at different times, and their collection is possible from the end of July to the end of November.

This is the only representative of the Tuber genus in Russia. Information about finding a winter truffle (Tuber brumale) has not been confirmed.

SPREADING

The main regions in which the Russian black truffle bears fruit quite often and annually are Black Sea coast Caucasus and forest-steppe zone Crimea. Separate finds over the past 150 years have also occurred in other regions of the European part of Russia: in the Podolsk, Tula, Belgorod, Oryol, Pskov and Moscow regions. In the Podolsk province, the mushroom was so common that local peasants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. engaged in its collection and sale. Information about this was published by V. Gomilevsky (“On the black truffle in the forests of the Baltic and the southern part of the Olgopol and Yampol districts of the Polish province”, Forest Journal, 1874, No. 1, pp. 22-31) and in a review of 1902 in the journal "New time".

I also have oral reports of BCT finds in the Leningrad, Tver and Pskov regions.

The first reliable mention of the discovery of BRT in the Crimea should be attributed to the note of 1873 by N.K. Sredinsky (“Materials for the flora of the Novorossiysk Territory and Bessarabia”), who claimed that “Black truffle is found on south coast Crimea in Faros - near the Baidar Gates.

The first serious source on BRT should be considered the 1902 monograph “Materials on the morphology and systematics of underground fungi” by the famous Russian mycologist, the first domestic specialist in underground fungi F.V. Buchholz.

Below you can see an excerpt from his book on BRT.

In the world, BRT is found in many countries of Europe (possibly in all but the countries of Scandinavia, the Baltic states, and also Finland) and, according to some information, in North Africa. It is actively (but in small quantities) collected by the population of France, Spain, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, mainly using specially trained dogs (mainly dachshunds and Yorkshire terriers) and, less often, pigs. Depending on the climate, BRT forms fruiting bodies from May to February.

Black diamond, decoration of any table and real delicacy in the world of mushrooms, it is the black truffle. It is very much appreciated by gourmets of the world, and not everyone can try it, since the cost of this delicacy is very high - 1 kilogram of truffle costs about 1000 euros! Why are people willing to pay big money just to taste this unusual mushroom? After reading the article, you will get acquainted with the description of the truffle, find out where you can get it yourself, how to cook it properly and what it is eaten with.

Black truffle (Tuber melanosporum) is also called Perigord or French truffle. It belongs to the Truffle family, to the genus of marsupial mushrooms of the same name, numbering about 30 species. It got its name from the Perigord region in France. Edible and very tasty, highly valued by gourmets and fans of mushrooms, it is considered the most refined representative of the mushroom kingdom. It grows underground and for a long time was generally considered an inedible outgrowth on the root of the host tree, similar to a tuber of the earth. The structure is rather unusual compared to other mushrooms.

  • the fruiting body is a modified apothecium, which is characteristic only of lichens and marsupials. It is irregular or round, tuberous in shape, up to 9 cm in diameter, brown-red in color, changing over time to deep black (charcoal). If you press on the fruiting body, then it will change color to reddish-rusty. Its entire surface is covered with small irregularities-warts, which can have up to 6 faces;
  • the flesh (meat) is dense, firm, in young mushrooms of a light color - from gray to brown-pink, with age it turns dark to purple-black. If you cut the black truffle, then on the pulp you can see bizarre white-red patterns that are visible even in adult mushrooms. The taste of the meat is bitter, but pleasant, and the aroma is special and very strong;
  • spores are oval or spindle-shaped, chocolate-colored spore powder.

Similar species and how to distinguish from them

Sometimes black truffle is confused with other species of the marsupial genus - with summer and winter. The first differs from the hero of the article in lighter flesh, and the second grows in the northern regions, unlike black.

Distribution and when to collect

The depth of "occurrence" of truffles sometimes reaches 50 cm, which makes their search very difficult for a person - that's why they are so expensive. Soil mushroom prefers calcareous and not oversaturated with nutrients.

To try this mushroom, you have to go to Europe. Although the Perigord truffle bears the name of a locality in France, it is also common in other places and countries - it is harvested in Spain and Italy and in the southwestern regions of France. The mushroom is also artificially grown in China.

The best time to hunt these truffles is from November to March. Most often, this mushroom is harvested in the first months after the onset of the New Year.

Primary processing and preparation

Black truffles are famous all over the world for their unique and unique taste. However, those who have tried this delicacy for the first time sometimes do not immediately understand its charms. Therefore, connoisseurs always advise trying the mushroom at least twice. Truffle lovers say that they respect it the most for its unique and unusual aroma, which contains notes of woods, chocolate or spirits.

Truffles can be used to make a wide variety of dishes. In its raw form, it is used as a seasoning, but more often, in the process of cooking, the truffle is subjected to heat treatment. It reveals its taste qualities well in egg dishes, added to pastas, goes well with rice.

The shelf life of these mushrooms is very short, and during the picking season of the delicacy, French restaurants very often arrange real wars to be the first to buy truffles on the market and then cook masterpieces of culinary art from them, which gourmets from all over the world come to try.

Truffle can be preserved for a short time: in order to keep it at least a little fit for food, it is made from it with olive oil, frozen or stored in rice. You can also make a fragrant cream from this mushroom, which is eaten by spreading it on bread.

Truffles search

To cook a truffle, it must first be harvested. This process is complex and requires serious preparation. Mushroom hunts are accompanied by specially trained dogs or pigs, which, thanks to their keen sense of smell, can smell truffles even through a layer of earth. At the same time, animals must not only find its place of growth, but also carefully dig out the mushroom without damaging the roots of the tree and without spoiling the fruiting body.

The difficulty in finding and collecting truffles is also the fact that they grow one by one, so big harvest when finding one mushroom, you should not hope.

Red flies help to find the place where the truffle grows, the swarm of which will hover over its habitat. The fact is that the larvae of these insects develop in fruit bodies mushrooms.

Truffles are also grown on farms. In this case, the mycelium is carefully planted and artificially grafted onto the host tree.

Special collection method, storage complexity, extraordinary taste- all this makes the truffle such an expensive delicacy that not everyone can easily afford to order it in a restaurant. But on occasion, you should not spare money and still try dishes with these unusual mushrooms and try to understand why the French love it so much.