Truffles: why pigs and dogs can find the most expensive mushrooms in the world

Truffles are the most expensive mushrooms in the world, and some species cost up to $ 50,000 per kilogram. Despite the fact that outside the window of the 21st century, mushrooms growing in the forests of Europe are still considered the greatest delicacy, and truffles grown under industrial conditions are significantly inferior to them in their qualities.

Truffles are edible delicious mushrooms belonging to the genus of marsupials. They have one interesting feature: they do not have legs or hats, like other mushrooms, and their appearance is more like a potato tuber.

Truffles grow underground, approximately at a depth of 10-20 centimeters. Mycelium, the vegetative body of the truffle, lives in symbiosis only with the roots of deciduous trees. Moreover, different types of truffles live on the roots of different woody plants. So, for example, Italian truffle is found on the roots of birch, linden, poplar or hawthorn.

Due to the fact that truffles grow exclusively underground, their search and collection have some features. In autumn, during the harvest season, ripe truffles emit a specific smell that can only be caught by specially trained dogs or pigs. Mushrooms exude fragrance for a short time, so the truffle picker season lasts no more than one to two months. But with a high level of professionalism and having a well-trained animal, you can earn a fortune in a short period, because truffles are very expensive. In addition to the difficulty of collecting and the rarity of truffles, the high price is also due to their excellent taste. At the height of the season, the best restaurants in Europe offer gourmets to taste fresh truffles.

The most valuable truffle types, which cost up to $ 50,000 per kilogram, are white and black truffles growing in Central Europe. White grow in Italian Piedmont and Umbria, and black can be found in France, in Perigord. The most fragrant are white truffles, or Italian.

Such a high cost of truffles prompted Europeans to grow these exotic mushrooms. People tried to grow truffles in the 19th century. For greater effectiveness, oak seedlings were specially selected, under the crowns of which a large number of truffles were found. At the end of the 19th century, whole truffle groves flourished in France, which annually brought up to 1000 tons of elite mushrooms. But over time, plantation yields began to decline, and the general decline in agriculture in the country led to the fact that the cultivation of truffles was abandoned by farmers.

But China, which is currently the world leader in truffle production, has taken the initiative for industrial cultivation. Naturally, Chinese truffles are much less valued in the market than their European relatives. Experts believe that Chinese products are inferior to natural counterparts in taste and aroma. But, despite the disapproving whispers of gourmets, Chinese truffles continue to conquer the European market, solely due to their low price.