Este documento describe los objetivos y métodos para establecer y gestionar una plantación de trufa negra en España. Explica que la trufa negra es un hongo comestible valioso que crece en simbiosis con las raíces de árboles como el roble. Detalla los requisitos del suelo, la selección y preparación del terreno, la adquisición y plantación de árboles inoculados, y los cuidados como el control de malezas requeridos para gestionar con éxito la plantación.
This document characterizes Pseudomonadaceae populations in wild truffle fields over the course of one year. Soil samples were taken from two wild truffle fields every 40 days and cultured on a selective medium, revealing similar abundances of culturable Pseudomonadaceae strains over the year. Samples from non-producing trees showed similar morphologies but lower abundances. 16S rRNA gene sequencing of 30 samples showed low diversity, with most bands corresponding to Pseudomonas chlororaphis and Stenotrophomonas species.
The document summarizes a study that tested the effects of different bacteria strains and organic compounds on the concentration of Tuber melanosporum (black truffle) mycelium. The study established 15 treatment plots with oak trees at three sites - a nursery, a 3.5 year old plantation, and a 10 year old plantation. Testing found that the concentration of black truffle mycelium varied depending on the bacteria or organic compound treatment, and that different treatments were most effective at different tree ages. Certain organic substances and bacterial strains produced higher mycelium concentrations, especially in the nursery and 3.5 year old plantation. The results will help determine the best treatments for different host tree ages.
we show the results of the spanish wells with truffle spores on the mycelium concentration in soil, different dosis and different times of inoculation. We as well monitor how this affect biodiversity on the brule on productive truffle trees
Este documento presenta la información sobre un curso de truficultura práctica que se llevará a cabo del 2 al 5 de febrero de 2015 en Mora de Rubielos, Teruel. El curso consta de 30 horas lectivas divididas en 20 módulos que cubren temas como la biología y ecología de las trufas, el cultivo y aprovechamiento de trufas silvestres, y la identificación de trufas y agentes nocivos. El curso está dirigido a emprendedores y estudiantes interesados en conocer los aspect
Este documento describe un nuevo modelo de baño maría de temperatura constante llamado noon® diseñado específicamente para cocineros. El noon® ofrece mayor precisión y control de temperatura que los modelos anteriores, lo que permite cocinar alimentos de manera más exacta a baja temperatura. El documento también explica los beneficios y aplicaciones de la cocina a baja temperatura.
Welcome to The Truffle Business - your guide to the truffle industry. This edition will cover Truffle Kerfuffle, biosecurity issues, an interview with brewer Mark Hollett from the Cidery & Blackwood Brewing Company and articles on farm management and pests and diseases.
Este documento describe los objetivos y métodos para establecer y gestionar una plantación de trufa negra en España. Explica que la trufa negra es un hongo comestible valioso que crece en simbiosis con las raíces de árboles como el roble. Detalla los requisitos del suelo, la selección y preparación del terreno, la adquisición y plantación de árboles inoculados, y los cuidados como el control de malezas requeridos para gestionar con éxito la plantación.
This document characterizes Pseudomonadaceae populations in wild truffle fields over the course of one year. Soil samples were taken from two wild truffle fields every 40 days and cultured on a selective medium, revealing similar abundances of culturable Pseudomonadaceae strains over the year. Samples from non-producing trees showed similar morphologies but lower abundances. 16S rRNA gene sequencing of 30 samples showed low diversity, with most bands corresponding to Pseudomonas chlororaphis and Stenotrophomonas species.
The document summarizes a study that tested the effects of different bacteria strains and organic compounds on the concentration of Tuber melanosporum (black truffle) mycelium. The study established 15 treatment plots with oak trees at three sites - a nursery, a 3.5 year old plantation, and a 10 year old plantation. Testing found that the concentration of black truffle mycelium varied depending on the bacteria or organic compound treatment, and that different treatments were most effective at different tree ages. Certain organic substances and bacterial strains produced higher mycelium concentrations, especially in the nursery and 3.5 year old plantation. The results will help determine the best treatments for different host tree ages.
we show the results of the spanish wells with truffle spores on the mycelium concentration in soil, different dosis and different times of inoculation. We as well monitor how this affect biodiversity on the brule on productive truffle trees
Este documento presenta la información sobre un curso de truficultura práctica que se llevará a cabo del 2 al 5 de febrero de 2015 en Mora de Rubielos, Teruel. El curso consta de 30 horas lectivas divididas en 20 módulos que cubren temas como la biología y ecología de las trufas, el cultivo y aprovechamiento de trufas silvestres, y la identificación de trufas y agentes nocivos. El curso está dirigido a emprendedores y estudiantes interesados en conocer los aspect
Este documento describe un nuevo modelo de baño maría de temperatura constante llamado noon® diseñado específicamente para cocineros. El noon® ofrece mayor precisión y control de temperatura que los modelos anteriores, lo que permite cocinar alimentos de manera más exacta a baja temperatura. El documento también explica los beneficios y aplicaciones de la cocina a baja temperatura.
Welcome to The Truffle Business - your guide to the truffle industry. This edition will cover Truffle Kerfuffle, biosecurity issues, an interview with brewer Mark Hollett from the Cidery & Blackwood Brewing Company and articles on farm management and pests and diseases.
Truffles are fungi that grow symbiotically with the roots of trees like various oak species. There are several species of truffles but the most valuable commercially are the black truffle, winter truffle, summer truffle, and Burgundy truffle. Truffles prefer limestone soils in somewhat hilly Mediterranean areas with moderate rainfall and temperatures. When establishing an orchard for truffle cultivation, factors like tree spacing, previous crops, and soil preparation must be considered. Truffle farming can be economically viable, with average production values ranging from €19,424 to €66,972 per hectare and profitability timeframes of 10 years or more.
This document provides information about the TV program "Caçadors de bolets" which features people hunting mushrooms in different areas of Catalonia. It also features the mycologist Enric Gracia who explains mushrooms and provides mushrooming forecasts. The program highlights common mushrooms found in Catalonia such as rovellons, fredolics, ceps, pebràs, tòfona negra, cama-secs, llenega, mataparents, moixernons, pet de llop, and rossinyol. Additional information about the program and Enric Gracia is available online. Each week the forecast predicts what mushrooms can be found and where based on weather factors. The program also
The document discusses the drying of potato slices and the effect of different pretreatments on the drying characteristics. Pretreatments like citric acid solution and blanching in hot water were tested, and the citric acid solution led to the shortest drying time. Mathematical models were fitted to the drying data to analyze and model the process.
Practical reptile keeping september 2015Saulo Gomes
This issue of Practical Reptile Keeping magazine features news of a major theft of marginated tortoises from a private collection, introductions of new planted vivarium substrates from ProRep, and the arrival of a male Komodo dragon named Ganas at ZSL London Zoo.
LAST MEETING, Massa Marittima (Italy) - Turchia agriculture labsTASTE OF FREEDOM
The document summarizes agricultural activities at prisons and farms in multiple countries. In Portugal, inmates designed and built a biological patch structure to grow various seasonal plants. They also visited a strawberry farm and brought produce back to taste. In Lithuania, inmates were taught to grow micro-greens on windowsills. In Spain, activities focused on maintaining traditional cultivation techniques. Turkey organized trips for inmates to organic farms to see pumpkin seed planting and greenhouse production without chemicals. Italy grew vegetables and herbs. Partners from multiple nations participated in a variety of agricultural programs.
The document summarizes the Australian truffle industry and provides context for an upcoming truffle festival in Melbourne. It notes that Australia has become the 4th largest producer of black truffles, with over 200 growers producing over 8 tonnes annually from 600 hectares. However, it also outlines several challenges facing the industry, including production uncertainties, economic viability challenges for small growers, and increasing global supply putting downward pressure on prices. The upcoming Truffle Melbourne festival aims to help build consumer familiarity with truffles in order to develop the domestic market and culinary tourism opportunities around truffles in Australia.
1) Students from Hernán Cortés Primary School in Spain visited a center for studying endangered Iberian birds of prey.
2) They learned about different birds that live in the region like eagles, hawks, and owls as well as dangers they face.
3) The center cares for injured birds and the students learned about providing first aid to wounded birds.
The document describes two botanical gardens: the Botanic Garden Nyíregyháza in Hungary, and the Botanic Garden Puerto de la Cruz in Tenerife, Spain. The Botanic Garden Nyíregyháza was founded in 1972, covers 5.6 hectares, and has a mission to provide information for university study. The Botanic Garden Puerto de la Cruz was founded in 1792, covers 2 hectares, and has a mission to acclimate tropical plants to the local atmosphere. Both gardens contain a variety of plant species in outdoor and greenhouse displays.
This document presents the results of a study on spider (Arachnida: Araneae) diversity in the Serra de São Mamede Natural Park in Portugal. A total of 5,416 specimens from 140 spider species or morphospecies were collected across three sampling sites representing different habitats and elevations. All species found were new records for this protected area, highlighting the lack of previous knowledge about spiders in Portugal. The study aims to increase faunistic knowledge of spiders in the region through providing a checklist of species found, along with notes on identification, distribution, and new locality records.
A major reptile event is taking place in London, biologists have made a breakthrough in understanding young turtle development in oceans, a new reptile product is helping rescued reptiles, and scientists discovered Africa's oldest venomous snakes dating back 25 million years ago.
The document discusses the author's experiences traveling to remote places and interviewing local people over the past 30 years. It shares excerpts from recently published texts in Portuguese, English, and Spanish, as well as some of the author's photographs. The excerpts discuss topics like cultural tourism in Peru, indigenous groups in Brazil, agricultural research in Brazil, the use of plastics, and infrastructure projects in Peru and Mexico.
Spanish Oranges SL is a joint venture of three families in Castellon, Spain with over 100 years of experience growing citrus. They grow over 10 million kilos of mandarins, oranges, and citrus hybrids across eight growing areas in the mountains. The company aims to directly market their "real natural oranges" from field to consumer worldwide to highlight the characteristic taste and scent of their mountain citrus. They have a GlobalGap certified processing plant near Castellon port to package and export their oranges.
The document discusses Peru's Amazonia region, covering its history, geography, population, environment, biodiversity, challenges of climate change, deforestation and poverty, and alternatives for economic growth. It notes that the Amazonia makes up 62% of Peru's territory and contains great diversity of flora, fauna and indigenous groups. While the region faces threats, there are also initiatives from public, private and nonprofit sectors pursuing sustainable development through ecotourism, bio-businesses, education projects and empowering local communities. Overall it argues more can be done to protect the region's natural resources and future through collective action.
This document introduces carnivorous plants and describes the author's initial fascination with them as a child. It recounts how the author first saw and unsuccessfully tried to grow Venus flytraps as a kid in the 1960s. The author then discovered various carnivorous plants like pitcher plants and sundews growing wild near his home in New Jersey. This ignited a lifelong passion for learning about and cultivating carnivorous plants. The introduction provides context for the revised book, which aims to share the author's extensive knowledge on propagating these unique plants.
Programa de Agro-Ecoturismo, UCA San Ramon, InglesRebecca Dalum
UCA San Ramón is a second-level cooperative in Nicaragua that works with 18 smaller agricultural cooperatives in the municipality of San Ramón. It was formed in 1992 to support small landowners during agricultural reforms. UCA San Ramón provides loans, training, and other services to promote sustainable and integrated community development. It also runs various social programs and has diversified into ecotourism over the past 10 years. The document then provides detailed community profiles for 7 of the cooperatives that UCA San Ramón works with, including information on population, altitude, temperature, location, history, and tourism offerings.
This document summarizes and discusses several books and presentations on topics related to sustainable development, innovation, entrepreneurship, and tourism. It provides details on recent speaking engagements given by the author Jack Soifer on these topics to various organizations in locations like Portugal, Canada, and the United States. It also briefly outlines some of the content and arguments from Soifer's book on how to exit an economic crisis.
This document discusses biodiversity, highlighting its importance and providing examples from Spain and the Valencia region. It defines biodiversity as the variety of life on Earth, including ecosystems and biomes. Biodiversity is important because it provides resources like food, medicine, materials and supports green tourism. Spain has many endangered species and plants at risk of extinction due to geographical and historical factors. The document also discusses invasive species threatening biodiversity and notes examples of valuable plants and ecosystems in L'Horta-Paiporta.
Knowledge Sharing Event on “Agro biodiversity, Cultures and Local Development”.
Completion Workshop, 18-19 May 2011. Promoted by ACRA and Oxfam Italia, funded by IFAD and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Photo Album and Useful Links
This document summarizes a two-day knowledge sharing event on agrobiodiversity, cultures, and local development. Day 1 involved replicating a "Migrant Guides" initiative in Rome where migrant guides from different countries led tours through areas showcasing the cultural diversity. Day 2 included presentations on project results from Ecuador, Morocco, and Senegal promoting neglected and underutilized species, as well as a market fair of products from those countries. Participants engaged in discussion on how to build on successes and scale up innovative approaches to valorizing agrobiodiversity and migrant contributions.
revisamos los últimos datos sobre el cultivo de bianchetto o Tuber borchii y analizamos los datos económicos de una plantación con pino piñonero injertada con clones altamente productivos de piñas
1) The life cycle of the black truffle Tuber melanosporum is still not fully understood. It is known to be heterotallic, requiring two mating types (MAT1 and MAT2) for sexual reproduction. 2) When substrate containing truffle spores is added to soil near trees, truffle production increases in that localized area after two years, suggesting the spores act as male elements. 3) The authors hypothesize that the first spores to germinate form ectomycorrhizal associations as female individuals, while other spores remain dormant in the soil bank and later germinate to act as male elements, explaining observations of truffle fruiting on young trees.
More Related Content
Similar to Barcelona Truffle Tour notes January 2016
Truffles are fungi that grow symbiotically with the roots of trees like various oak species. There are several species of truffles but the most valuable commercially are the black truffle, winter truffle, summer truffle, and Burgundy truffle. Truffles prefer limestone soils in somewhat hilly Mediterranean areas with moderate rainfall and temperatures. When establishing an orchard for truffle cultivation, factors like tree spacing, previous crops, and soil preparation must be considered. Truffle farming can be economically viable, with average production values ranging from €19,424 to €66,972 per hectare and profitability timeframes of 10 years or more.
This document provides information about the TV program "Caçadors de bolets" which features people hunting mushrooms in different areas of Catalonia. It also features the mycologist Enric Gracia who explains mushrooms and provides mushrooming forecasts. The program highlights common mushrooms found in Catalonia such as rovellons, fredolics, ceps, pebràs, tòfona negra, cama-secs, llenega, mataparents, moixernons, pet de llop, and rossinyol. Additional information about the program and Enric Gracia is available online. Each week the forecast predicts what mushrooms can be found and where based on weather factors. The program also
The document discusses the drying of potato slices and the effect of different pretreatments on the drying characteristics. Pretreatments like citric acid solution and blanching in hot water were tested, and the citric acid solution led to the shortest drying time. Mathematical models were fitted to the drying data to analyze and model the process.
Practical reptile keeping september 2015Saulo Gomes
This issue of Practical Reptile Keeping magazine features news of a major theft of marginated tortoises from a private collection, introductions of new planted vivarium substrates from ProRep, and the arrival of a male Komodo dragon named Ganas at ZSL London Zoo.
LAST MEETING, Massa Marittima (Italy) - Turchia agriculture labsTASTE OF FREEDOM
The document summarizes agricultural activities at prisons and farms in multiple countries. In Portugal, inmates designed and built a biological patch structure to grow various seasonal plants. They also visited a strawberry farm and brought produce back to taste. In Lithuania, inmates were taught to grow micro-greens on windowsills. In Spain, activities focused on maintaining traditional cultivation techniques. Turkey organized trips for inmates to organic farms to see pumpkin seed planting and greenhouse production without chemicals. Italy grew vegetables and herbs. Partners from multiple nations participated in a variety of agricultural programs.
The document summarizes the Australian truffle industry and provides context for an upcoming truffle festival in Melbourne. It notes that Australia has become the 4th largest producer of black truffles, with over 200 growers producing over 8 tonnes annually from 600 hectares. However, it also outlines several challenges facing the industry, including production uncertainties, economic viability challenges for small growers, and increasing global supply putting downward pressure on prices. The upcoming Truffle Melbourne festival aims to help build consumer familiarity with truffles in order to develop the domestic market and culinary tourism opportunities around truffles in Australia.
1) Students from Hernán Cortés Primary School in Spain visited a center for studying endangered Iberian birds of prey.
2) They learned about different birds that live in the region like eagles, hawks, and owls as well as dangers they face.
3) The center cares for injured birds and the students learned about providing first aid to wounded birds.
The document describes two botanical gardens: the Botanic Garden Nyíregyháza in Hungary, and the Botanic Garden Puerto de la Cruz in Tenerife, Spain. The Botanic Garden Nyíregyháza was founded in 1972, covers 5.6 hectares, and has a mission to provide information for university study. The Botanic Garden Puerto de la Cruz was founded in 1792, covers 2 hectares, and has a mission to acclimate tropical plants to the local atmosphere. Both gardens contain a variety of plant species in outdoor and greenhouse displays.
This document presents the results of a study on spider (Arachnida: Araneae) diversity in the Serra de São Mamede Natural Park in Portugal. A total of 5,416 specimens from 140 spider species or morphospecies were collected across three sampling sites representing different habitats and elevations. All species found were new records for this protected area, highlighting the lack of previous knowledge about spiders in Portugal. The study aims to increase faunistic knowledge of spiders in the region through providing a checklist of species found, along with notes on identification, distribution, and new locality records.
A major reptile event is taking place in London, biologists have made a breakthrough in understanding young turtle development in oceans, a new reptile product is helping rescued reptiles, and scientists discovered Africa's oldest venomous snakes dating back 25 million years ago.
The document discusses the author's experiences traveling to remote places and interviewing local people over the past 30 years. It shares excerpts from recently published texts in Portuguese, English, and Spanish, as well as some of the author's photographs. The excerpts discuss topics like cultural tourism in Peru, indigenous groups in Brazil, agricultural research in Brazil, the use of plastics, and infrastructure projects in Peru and Mexico.
Spanish Oranges SL is a joint venture of three families in Castellon, Spain with over 100 years of experience growing citrus. They grow over 10 million kilos of mandarins, oranges, and citrus hybrids across eight growing areas in the mountains. The company aims to directly market their "real natural oranges" from field to consumer worldwide to highlight the characteristic taste and scent of their mountain citrus. They have a GlobalGap certified processing plant near Castellon port to package and export their oranges.
The document discusses Peru's Amazonia region, covering its history, geography, population, environment, biodiversity, challenges of climate change, deforestation and poverty, and alternatives for economic growth. It notes that the Amazonia makes up 62% of Peru's territory and contains great diversity of flora, fauna and indigenous groups. While the region faces threats, there are also initiatives from public, private and nonprofit sectors pursuing sustainable development through ecotourism, bio-businesses, education projects and empowering local communities. Overall it argues more can be done to protect the region's natural resources and future through collective action.
This document introduces carnivorous plants and describes the author's initial fascination with them as a child. It recounts how the author first saw and unsuccessfully tried to grow Venus flytraps as a kid in the 1960s. The author then discovered various carnivorous plants like pitcher plants and sundews growing wild near his home in New Jersey. This ignited a lifelong passion for learning about and cultivating carnivorous plants. The introduction provides context for the revised book, which aims to share the author's extensive knowledge on propagating these unique plants.
Programa de Agro-Ecoturismo, UCA San Ramon, InglesRebecca Dalum
UCA San Ramón is a second-level cooperative in Nicaragua that works with 18 smaller agricultural cooperatives in the municipality of San Ramón. It was formed in 1992 to support small landowners during agricultural reforms. UCA San Ramón provides loans, training, and other services to promote sustainable and integrated community development. It also runs various social programs and has diversified into ecotourism over the past 10 years. The document then provides detailed community profiles for 7 of the cooperatives that UCA San Ramón works with, including information on population, altitude, temperature, location, history, and tourism offerings.
This document summarizes and discusses several books and presentations on topics related to sustainable development, innovation, entrepreneurship, and tourism. It provides details on recent speaking engagements given by the author Jack Soifer on these topics to various organizations in locations like Portugal, Canada, and the United States. It also briefly outlines some of the content and arguments from Soifer's book on how to exit an economic crisis.
This document discusses biodiversity, highlighting its importance and providing examples from Spain and the Valencia region. It defines biodiversity as the variety of life on Earth, including ecosystems and biomes. Biodiversity is important because it provides resources like food, medicine, materials and supports green tourism. Spain has many endangered species and plants at risk of extinction due to geographical and historical factors. The document also discusses invasive species threatening biodiversity and notes examples of valuable plants and ecosystems in L'Horta-Paiporta.
Knowledge Sharing Event on “Agro biodiversity, Cultures and Local Development”.
Completion Workshop, 18-19 May 2011. Promoted by ACRA and Oxfam Italia, funded by IFAD and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Photo Album and Useful Links
This document summarizes a two-day knowledge sharing event on agrobiodiversity, cultures, and local development. Day 1 involved replicating a "Migrant Guides" initiative in Rome where migrant guides from different countries led tours through areas showcasing the cultural diversity. Day 2 included presentations on project results from Ecuador, Morocco, and Senegal promoting neglected and underutilized species, as well as a market fair of products from those countries. Participants engaged in discussion on how to build on successes and scale up innovative approaches to valorizing agrobiodiversity and migrant contributions.
Similar to Barcelona Truffle Tour notes January 2016 (20)
revisamos los últimos datos sobre el cultivo de bianchetto o Tuber borchii y analizamos los datos económicos de una plantación con pino piñonero injertada con clones altamente productivos de piñas
1) The life cycle of the black truffle Tuber melanosporum is still not fully understood. It is known to be heterotallic, requiring two mating types (MAT1 and MAT2) for sexual reproduction. 2) When substrate containing truffle spores is added to soil near trees, truffle production increases in that localized area after two years, suggesting the spores act as male elements. 3) The authors hypothesize that the first spores to germinate form ectomycorrhizal associations as female individuals, while other spores remain dormant in the soil bank and later germinate to act as male elements, explaining observations of truffle fruiting on young trees.
Se describe el efecto de cepas bacterianas y distintas sustancias orgánicas activas en la concentración de micelio de trufa negra analizada con qPCR.
Resultados del proyecto piloto de investigación Micofora - IRTA para el desarrollo de un fertilizante microbiano para truficultura
Resultats del projecte de recerca coordinat per MICOFORA i l´IRTA per mesurar les concentracions de miceli de tòfona negra al sòl i probar dosis d´espores als pous per afegir el sexe complementari.
Guatemala tiene una gran diversidad cultural y lingüística entre sus pueblos indígenas. Los hongos silvestres han sido recolectados y consumidos por la cultura maya y otros pueblos desde hace tiempo, y todavía se pueden encontrar muchas especies de hongos en los mercados del altiplano. Los hongos silvestres son una fuente importante de nutrientes, ingresos y sostenibilidad para las comunidades rurales. Algunas de las especies más comunes que se recolectan e intercambian en los mercados son el rebozuel
tras un proyecto DECOSUR de técnicos de Micologia Forestal & Aplicada en Nicaragua, se comentan las especies de hongos silvestres recolectadas como las comunidades locales, así como la creación de un laboratorio para producción de inoculo o semilla de setas y de distintas plantas de cultivo de Pleurotus o falsa seta de cardo
Este documento proporciona recomendaciones para la extracción de muestras de suelo que se enviarán a un laboratorio para su análisis. Recomienda preparar muestras separadas del suelo y subsuelo de la misma área, a profundidades de 0-15 cm y por debajo de los 15 cm, respectivamente. Además, instruye sobre cómo recolectar las muestras de manera uniforme, mezclarlas y enviar de 1-2 kg de cada muestra al laboratorio MICOLOGIA FORESTAL & APLICADA en España,
poster presented at the Internation Workshop on Edible Mycorrhizal Mushroom in Morocco 2014.
We describe the results on the ecology of Tuber borchii in natural sites and truffle plantation in worth Portugal, including molecular diversity and borchii mating types.
Este documento analiza las dificultades para cultivar hongos comestibles micorrícicos. Aunque se han logrado cultivar con éxito algunas especies como Tuber melanosporum y Lactarius deliciosus, muchos hongos valiosos como la trufa blanca italiana y Tricholoma matsutake no se han podido cultivar. Esto se debe a que la relación entre los hongos y las plantas huéspedes es más compleja de lo que se pensaba, y algunos hongos pueden tener varios componentes necesarios o requerir condiciones
Barcelona Truffle Tour is a seminar on truffle farming and truffle marketing and value chain. We analyze all steps on truffle business. Made in english for overseas truffle growers
En esta presentación se muestran como los últimos avances en truficultura, estudios de ADN y sexualidad de trufas, patologías en plantaciones han cambiado la manera de plantearse un proyecto de truficultura
in this lecture we explore how the last DNA, sexual findings on truffle reproduction, truffle ecology and truffle farming overseas have changed the way we approach a truffle farming project.
Ponencia sobre las investigaciones propias de Micología Forestal sobre el cultivo de Tuber borchii, truficultura de bianchetto o marzuolo.
lecture about bianchetto Tuber borchii farming in Chile, Portugal and Spain.
El documento presenta gráficos y datos sobre el volumen y precios de la venta de setas silvestres comestibles en Mercabarna durante los otoños de 2005 y 2006. También incluye información sobre el volumen del mercado de setas comestibles en Chile y los precios de varias especies. Por último, resume algunos éxitos en la producción micorrizada de setas como Suillus, tricholoma portentosum y Hygrophorus limacinus.
El documento proporciona información sobre la producción y cultivo de trufas en diferentes países del mundo. Menciona que los principales productores de trufas son China, Australia y algunos países europeos como España, e incluye detalles sobre los esfuerzos de truficultura en Nueva Zelanda, Chile, China, Estados Unidos y otros lugares. Además, brinda estadísticas sobre la demanda, producción y exportaciones de trufas a nivel mundial.
El documento proporciona información sobre diferentes especies de trufas, incluyendo Tuber uncinatum, Tuber borchii y Tuber melanosporum. Describe los hábitats óptimos, sistemas de inoculación y resultados de producción de trufas para Tuber brumale y Tuber melanosporum en varias regiones de España.
Este documento resume la cadena de valor de la trufa y proyecta la demanda y producción futura de trufas a nivel mundial. Actualmente se producen alrededor de 570 toneladas métricas de trufas anualmente, con un crecimiento previsto del 6% anual. Para el 2030, se espera que la producción alcance las 1000 toneladas métricas anuales si se logra un rendimiento de 15 kg/ha, o incluso más si el rendimiento es de 30 kg/ha. Varias regiones como Oceanía, América, Italia
Tuber borchii is an edible truffle species that can form mycorrhizal relationships with various tree hosts. The document studies different inoculation techniques for cultivating T. borchii with different host trees, including pines, oaks, and hazelnuts. Seedlings of several tree species formed mycorrhizas with T. borchii at rates from 29-54% after seven months. Additionally, three inoculation methods were tested on hazelnuts, with nursery inoculation of seedlings achieving over 30% infection rates, while root dip and direct field inoculation had lower infection rates under 10%. Inoculations were also conducted on mature pine, oak, and Mexican oak forests
FOOD PSYCHOLOGY CHARLA EN INGLES SOBRE PSICOLOGIA NUTRICIONALNataliaLedezma6
Our decisions about what to put on our plate are far more intricate than simply following hunger cues. Food psychology delves into the fascinating world of why we choose the foods we do, revealing a complex interplay of emotions, stress, and even disorders.
The Menu affects everything in a restaurant; as our friend and FCSI consultant Bill Main says, “The Menu is your blueprint for profitability.”
Let’s start with the segment. What will be your marketing and brand positioning? It depends on what menu items you serve. What type of cooking methods and equipment will you use? GUEST EXPERIENCE = FACILITY (Space) DESIGN + MENU + SERVPOINTS™
W.H. Bender & Associates
408-784-7371
whb@whbender.com
www.whbender.com
San Jose, California
A Review on Recent Advances of Packaging in Food IndustryPriyankaKilaniya
Effective food packaging provides number of purposes. It functions as a container to hold and transport the food product, as well as a barrier to protect the food from outside contamination such as water, light, odours, bacteria, dust, and mechanical damage by maintaining the food quality. The package may also include barriers to keep the product's moisture content or gas composition consistent. Furthermore, convenience is vital role in packaging, and the desire for quick opening, dispensing, and resealing packages that maintain product quality until fully consumed is increasing. To facilitate trading, encourage sales, and inform on content and nutritional attributes, the packaging must be communicative. For storage of food there is huge scope for modified atmosphere packaging, intelligent packaging, active packaging, and controlled atmosphere packaging. Active packaging has a variety of uses, including carbon dioxide absorbers and emitters, oxygen scavengers, antimicrobials, and moisture control agents. Smart packaging is another term for intelligent packaging. Edible packaging, self-cooling and self-heating packaging, micro packaging, and water-soluble packaging are some of the advancements in package material.
Panchkula offers a wide array of dining experiences. From traditional North Indian flavors to global cuisine, the city’s restaurants cater to every taste bud. Let’s dive into some of the best restaurants in Panchkula
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2. DRY?
Call that paddock of yours a truffière? Now this is a truffière -Finca El Olmar, Manzanera, Teruel. Catalonia.
T
here’s a select group of Aus-
tralian growers who first met
Marcos Morcillo when he was
an official guest at the 2014
ATGA Conference in Launceston. His
talk was called Paradigm shifts in
growing truffles, and the slide pre-
sentation is on your members web-
site. (Without the audio it isn’t easy
to follow). And some of you may have
seen his just as disruptive ‘10 tips for
growing truffles’ Skype video session
at Truffle Melbourne Festival last year.
He is a co-partner of Micologia Forestal
& Aplicada (MF&A) a private research
centre specialising in truffles and
mushrooms, and he and his colleagues
work closely with the Research Insti-
tute of Agronomic Technology (IRTA).
He wrote his first book on truffle grow-
ing for the Spanish Government, and
you’ll have seen news of the release of
his latest book Truffle Farming Today.
He knows what he’s talking about, he
consults around the world and gener-
ously shares all of that information in
his book and on his English and Spanish
language blogs. As we quickly found,
it’s not his nature to make pronounce-
ments about how best to do some-
thing. Knowing about the variability of
the growing process he always says,
“This is what we believe is the best way
now” and with a grin, ”ask me again
next week”.
His success has made him a magnet
for information and he is very aware of
what is changing quickly with new re-
search and practical results.
As research for the GROW wiki project,
Jan and I took the opportunity to join his
tour with a group of 16 growers or po-
tential growers from eight countries, in-
cluding Bulgaria, Mexico, Chile, and Aus-
tralia in January. We went to learn about
that latest research Marcos and his
colleagues have conducted, visit truf-
fle growers, distributors and processors
to see what he believes are best-prac-
tice operations in Spain. Our task now
is to extract what we believe was rele-
vant for Australian growers and these
notes (and the videos to follow) is the
first result. I’ve shared this with Marcos
to ensure we are reporting accurately.
When we arrived, we discovered that
it had been a bad season for truffle in
Spain, with above-average winter tem-
peratures and no rain for more than 100
days. While truffles were still being har-
vested, yields were down and the truffle
was coming exclusively from the irrigat-
ed plantations – hunters were finding no
wild truffle at all, predicting the season
would finish early.
That also meant that as tourists
we had great sunny weather.
We did see a lot of truffle however. The
average annual output of Spain is 40
tonnes, compared to Australia’s best
guess at 8 tonnes. Spain is second only
to France in the production of tuber mel-
anosporum, although after centuries of
Marcos asked how long I had had
my truffière, and when I said “I’m
not a grower, I’m just a groupie” he
replied “Great. That makes it easy.
If you want to start now, with what
we know, I could really help you
grow truffles”.
FREDHARDEN&JANO’CONNELL
Happyastwopigsinmycorrhiza
3. wild harvesting, there is still not a truffle
eating tradition there.
This means that most of the product is
exported. In contrast to Australia, their
exportmarketsarejustafew hoursaway.
There were small ‘Trufa for sale’ signs
in deli windows but we only saw fresh
truffle on sale in the retail markets in
Barcelona and Teruel, the price was
€1000 (approx. $AUD 1500) a kilo.
Caldes de Montbui
The tour began at Caldes de Montbui in
the hills near Barcelona. At an evening
briefing session participants introduced
themselves and were presented with
their workbooks and an impressive, dag-
ger-like implement – the only approved
tool for digging truffle in Spain. (It was
alsowell suited forthe soiltypeswe saw.)
addition of spore-containing sub-
strates via ‘Spanish wells’ holes or
in ripped furrows. The idea that you
will have to constantly monitor the
growth of mycorrhiza over the life of
your plantation caused some re-eval-
uation by the growers present.
Knowing the soporific effect of Pow-
erPoint in a warm room with an open
fire, the lecture sessions were inten-
sive, then followed by practical visits.
A tour of the nursery greenhouses and
experimental plots, and then with visits
to truffle traders and processors. And
somehow always finding time for
a good lunch.
For Jan and I, the trader visits were
a highlight, giving a context to the
European truffle business that look-
ing at a foreign website can never do.
The Spanish traders buy from both wild
hunters and growers, regularly travel-
ling all over Spain to do collections, of-
ten in local bars. This was the way truf-
fles had traditionally been bought and
the dealer would be presented with a
basket of unwashed truffle (often con-
taining stones). It is only recently that
daily prices have been determined by
the quality of individual truffles and the
demand. There are still markets where
you can buy truffle, often sight unseen,
for cash at that week’s going rate.
One of the biggest traders, Laumont,
was instrumental in setting up a more
manageable system that required sell-
ers to trust the company’s grading
judgement (there was always some
conversation on arrival) and guaran-
teed them payment within days after
the truffle was cleaned and graded.
Each grower was supplied with a de-
tailed spreadsheet showing weight, the
percentage of dirt and the percentage
of each grade of truffle with the going
rates that day for each. They shared
some of their real world spreadsheets.
While hard for them to introduce, they
now have a 300+ suppliers and the
practice has been accepted by even
conservative traditional wild hunters.
The only difference I saw in the grad-
ing process, compared with our grading
truffles here, was purely the emphasis
on size. We were allowed to sniff and
examine some trays of truffle, checking
blackness from the nicks and said, ‘yes a
great truffle AND I agree it’s pretty’. Our
discussion (at the last ATGA Conference
for example) as to what constitutes a
premium grade truffle differs slightly
because we have very different expec-
tations as our small growers enter the
market. “I’ve got a 500 gram premium
truffle, it’s a bit lumpy but smells ter-
rific, why isn’t it considered A-grade?”
For the European market if it’s not small
(golfball to tennis ball) and round-ish, it
doesn’t make that top price. It is usually
cut or broken and sold not as fresh pre-
mium pieces but for canning.
The Truffle & Wine Co. said that fresh
pieces are a growing part of their
local and export market. Cheap-
er than whole truffle, being
just as good in aroma and ripeness
it is preferred by many of our chefs.
Do I look like a terrorist? There
were subsequently some misun-
derstandings with the Spanish Rail-
ways about my gift. Understandably
touchy about terrorist attacks, the
X-ray scan clearly showed a huge
broad bladed knife in my suitcase. It
had gone through two early scans,
probably on edge and mixed with
my tripod gear so I was surprised
when I was asked to open the bag.
The staff recoiled in disbelief as I
brandished it, and even explaining
it was a government approved ag-
ricultural tool for digging the trufa
didn’t help. When I said I was go-
ing to Barcelona, they shook their
heads and confiscated it, trying to
supress their grins.
The tour group in front of the IRTA in Torre
Marimon, a tastefully restored period building.
The first two mornings of the trip con-
sisted of classroom sessions at the Cat-
alan Government owned Research In-
stitute of Agronomic Technology (IRTA).
There were discussions on truffle ecol-
ogy, soils, feeding behaviour and a lot
of time was spent on the necessity to
understand and ensure the persistence
of the two mating types during the pro-
ductive life of the truffière. The research
has showed how that changes over time
and some trees become dominant in
one type only. They have good brulees
but with no chance of growing a truffle.
The other research of growing impor-
tance is the understanding that it is
soil bacteria that contributes much to
the unique truffle aroma and good soil
structure is essential.
One thing that quickly became clear
was the dynamic and ongoing nature
of the Spanish/Catalan research. The
answers to a lot of our questions were
“we’re working on it” or “we’ve planted
to test that and we’ll know definitively
in five years or so”. Nonetheless, Marcos
and his IRTA colleagues summarised
the latest science and presented ex-
amples of successful practices includ-
ing soil preparation, irrigation meth-
ods and the growing importance of the
Truffle trading
The mushroom and truffle stall at the Barcelona
La Boqueria Market
The extensive greenhouses of the IRTA
Manjares de la tierra owners Maria Jesus , Lola and Mercedes
What was apparent as we visited the
traders was how viability of the local
industry is boosted by the ability of
the traders to offer processing. Broken
or insect damaged premium truffle as
well as lesser grade truffle is canned,
juiced, frozen or dried. These products,
depending on whether they’re first, sec-
ond or even third boiling, are all clearly
marked, (a legal requirement) are sold to
chefs or used by industry in a range of
packaged goods. They all mentioned the
concern for food safety by the chefs and
corporate buyers (big hotel groups) as
reason to purchase the tinned product.
One of the successful traders we visited,
Manjares de la tierra, had a nice story.
They have become active value-added
producers and is run by a group of three
woman, wives of local truffle producers.
They could see that their truffle they
were selling for a lower price for ‘pro-
cessing’ was then given a higher value
by value-adding. So they decided to
cut out the middle men. They produce
a range of jars and small tinned truffle
products with combinations that I’ve
never seen on shelves here.
Pastes with mushrooms, summer truf-
fle (not black) and duck foie gras, vac-
uum packed risotto rice with dried truf-
fle slices. We were given a ‘show bag’ of
items (thank you) and have tasted our
way through them (Yes, declaring them
to disinterested customs officers on our
return to Melbourne. And yes I scrubbed
my shoes ma’am even if you didn’t ask).
There is little chance
for any bacterial
contaminants when the
truffle is sealed in a tin
and autoclaved.The standard plant container allows examination
at any stages of the growth and easy planting.
Perfect shape black truffle and perfect shape truf-
fle vacuum packed and snap frozen ( -16 deg )
4. Marcos said that the Spanish chefs were
largely truffle agnostic. There’s a local
truffle lunch special, truffled fried eggs
and Jamon on this blackboard menu, it’s
a dish that is apparently available each
season in local bars around Teruel. Sim-
ple but I didn’t get to try it. Next time.
However the first full day of the lec-
tures and trader visits was capped
off by a late lunch – a lunch that last-
ed from 3pm until 7pm. Nandu Juba-
ny is a Michelin starred chef who
understands truffle and demonstrat-
ed this via nine amazing courses.
A special truffled menu is offered
as an option each winter Jan
writes about that here.
The mini-bus was now covering long
distances. We saw the sun rise and
set over foggy landscapes a couple of
times. On Day 3, the group moved on
to Teruel, high in the mountains west
of Valencia. This area produces most
of Spain’s black truffle. We’d all packed
our thermal underwear, being led to
expect temperatures down to -7o. We
needn’t have bothered – the weath-
er continued to be unseasonably mild.
At the old Teruel railway station of Mora
there is the largest truffle market in
Spain, (it is held every Friday night in the
station bar).Whilewewerethere, truffles
were fetching between €350 and €600
/ kilo. On Saturday 9th January in Teruel
the price was between €420 and €515.
Marcos explains to us on the bus, here
(if you’re online).
Around Teruel, we visited two success-
ful truffle orchards. Here the learning
ramped up with practical examples and
Q&A. The largest of these covered 35
hectares and is owned by Miguel Pérez.
Situated in a valley, the scale of Finca El
Olmo drew gasps from inside the bus as
we breasted the hill. Clearly a successful
business, there where large traditional
style buildings and modern machinery
sheds filled with new equipment. The
50 hectare property of holm oaks has
a network of Wireless remote moisture
sensors and irrigation is centrally con-
trolled. The best areas he says are pro-
ducing 200kg a hectare, average yield is
about 100kg per hectare a year.
We followed one hunter around in a pad-
dock near to the main buildings (setup
with large function rooms for ‘wedings
parties, anything’ events. Trufiturismo
is big here). No warnings about com-
paction from all of us stomping around,
(we were considered a ‘special’ group)
or bio-security, which Marcos says is the
approach across Spain. “They already
have all the pests and diseases” and
contamination of species is common
from an area that had wild truffles.
They start with scrupulously washed
(first by machine, then by hand) truf-
fle that is pressure sealed in a large tin
and cooked in an industrial autoclave
pressure cooker. Truffles, having a high
moisture content as you know, the re-
sulting juice is considerable. Some of
the truffle is removed, going into smaller
tins and marketed as ‘first boiling’. The
juice is also canned. A few teaspoons
of water and salt is added if needed,
and a second ‘boiling’ and sometimes
a third is repeated. The result is tasted,
the product is adjusted for consistent
flavour in each tin, and then is packed
into 500g, one and two kilo tins for sale.
The taste consistency is taken very se-
riously, blending graded truffle so that a
chef opening a tin, can expect the same
aroma and flavour each time. Apparent-
ly some chefs prefer that cooked truffle
aroma. Restaurants and ‘industry’ get
the first process (in French it’s marked
1ère cuisson or ‘first boil’), second and
third pressure cooking are what we’ll
find on retail shelves (or from websites).
One writer says “Beware. The truffle
does subsequently lose a lot of aroma,
but the price tag does not go down!”
We were told the price for tinned prod-
uct has been stable for years. Growers
get €150 a kilo or less for truffle used for
canning, often for what we would con-
sider premium truffle pieces. However
they sell all the truffle they bring in, and
are paid at the different grading rates.
‘Truffle a la papillote with Brussels sprouts’ being
served at Can Jubany at Calldetenes, Catalonia
Bocata del dia-Daily menu
Are you ready to sell your
truffle for $200 a kilo?
Rip first, ask questions afterward. Uniformly positive results have been gained by
ripping along the rows at El Olmo, they were set er, as deep as the photo. (Top)
(Below) Vibrating tillers (set to about 10cm deep) are run over the rows, as close
as they can get to the trees without damage after all truffles are gathered and
before pruning. This reduces weed growth. Marcos reports much improved pro-
ductivity with both methods. The spread of mating types seems to be part of this,
and truffle is always found along the looser soil of the rip-line.
Jordi Serentill with tins of truffle ready for process
The 2016 tour group with Julio Perales (with hat, black iPad in hand connected to irrigation
data) and his son is the handler carrying a large knee pad, with dog.
Has anyone factored long term return
on investment of an Australia truffière
with a percentage of the crop at that
tinned produce price?
When canned, melanosporum, brumale
and indicum look exactly the same: they
all lose their white veins and the flesh
becomes uniformly black. Which must
make it a temptation to mix the produce
to reach a consitency even if the rules
say no fake aroma is added.
The first boil juice itself is very aromatic
and full of the glutamates, it’s a premi-
um product used primarily for sauces.
As we arrived at Conservas Coll, a wild hunter
had just delivered this plastic bag of very scrap-
py but pungent truffle. More so than the farmed
beside it.
Teruel - truffle capital
5. On the following day we met Julio
Perales (below), president of the Tereul
Truffle Growers Association at our hotel
and he travelled with us to his plantation
Mora de Rubielos. The truffière has
mixed deciduous Quercus faginea and
evergreen Quercus ilex. Located at an
altitude of 1050m, the plantation is cur-
rently 12-14 years old. His range of soil
types dictates yeild, he is getting an
average 100kg per hectare a year on the
deeper more fertile soil.
Julio is fastidious about soil compaction.
Tasks like pruning and weed control
(vibra-tilling) are all timed to the soil
moisture but sometimes he feels the
soil is too damp to run a tractor over
for ‘Spanish well’ trenching. On the day
we were there, he had a hunter and
dog with a second worker following up
to add handfuls of the substrate to the
hole after the truffles were removed.
See the video below.
It also meant that we didn’t go
into the paddock as a group.
Both plantations employed teams of
three or four hunters with the aim
to visit every tree once a week. The
dogs are kept in large kennels. Pera-
les has thirteen dogs for three hunters.
The dogs were worked for two-hour
stretches, then replaced and spelled.
During the working season, the only
food they are given were the treats
Dog food (looks good). Fred food (looks better)
when they found a truffle (perhaps giv-
en more generously than our better fed
dogs in Australia). And as Jan said, I bet
none of them got to sleep on the bed!
Start with limestone sand like this. Wait centuries for soil. Plant truffle trees
Video available online only.
6. Discussion points
It’s clear that our knowledge and un-
derstanding of how truffles grow is ex-
panding all the time. From the time they
coded the whole truffle genome, DNA
testing has become part of the regular
testing, just as pH is. As a result, what
we might previously have considered
‘established practice’ has been
challenged.
Here are some of the key take-outs:
Healthy trees grow better truffles.
This challenges some previous thinking
that trees need to be kept stressed so
they build roots and rely on the action of
the truffles to thrive. It seems that the
truffle/tree relationship is less symbi-
otic than previously thought. Watering,
fertilising and reducing weed competi-
tion therefore become more important.
Fertiliser that promotes truffle growth
may well be different from tree growth.
A large scale trial is under way at IRTA .
Waiting, waiting...
Good soil preparation is vital.
In Spain, this includes milling to reduce
the size of stones in the soil and im-
prove texture. Good soil preparation
has been shown to bring production
forward by two to three years. We’re
blessed in Australia and New Zealand
with a range of great truffle soils, and
if you get the pH right it is clear that
you can grow in a wide range of tex-
tures. Clay soil that waterlogs being
the only exception that doesn’t work
(at least we think so this week). It was
very strange looking at the rocky soils in
Spain compared to what we have here.
Avoid compaction of soils.
Choice of machinery and the timing
of weeding and machine pruning is
important to avoid the compaction of
soil especially in the brûlés.
Truffles can actively change soil pH.
Research Marcos presented to the ATGA
conference in 2014 has been confirmed
and shows that the truffle may act on
the surrounding soil to increase the pH
to what it needs. So it may be that on-
going addition of lime is less vital than
was first thought. Defining a range of pH
that this applies to is next.
There’s a battle of the sexes.
We’ve known that two mating types are
required to produce the fruiting body.
However, it appears that over time, one
mating type can take over in each brûlé.
You still get a great looking brûlé but it
will never grow truffles. If the same mat-
ing type comes to dominate in one area
of the truffière this could explain those
non-productive zones in your paddock
that produced briefly then stopped.
Adding new spores
The successful Tereul growers now after
12 years routinely use ‘Spanish wells’
or trenches to add substrate seeded
with truffle spores to their productive
orchards. This significantly helps to en-
sure the distribution of mating types.
Typically, the ‘extra grade’ perfectly
round golf-ball size truffles are found in
the looser soil of these wells or the sides
of the trenches. The catch here is that
you need to use high grade truffle in the
substrate so you’re using the best ge-
netic material – using flavourless reject-
ed, large ugly shaped or over ripe truffle
may perpetuate undesirable character-
istics. This comes at a big expense for a
small grower. Growers Colin Carter and
Noel Fitzpatrick were doing the sums
and said in Australia it would be hard for
a small grower to justify and cheaper to
replant with new seedlings.
You can’t plant then relax.
Productivity is increased by cultivation,
ripping between the rows – this can also
help distribute the mating types. Sur-
face tilling around the trees has also
proved itself. It’s something to keep in
mind when laying out your irrigation.
Lines should be deep and not go across
the rows. And ongoing testing of mating
types will give you feedback to see if you
need to intervene. And soil bacteria?
Ideal canopy size depends on climate.
Fine tuning the canopy to the variety re-
ally works. Very hot areas may benefit
from more canopy cover, while in cold
areas the canopy needs to be restrict-
ed to allow more warmth on the ground.
Changes in latitude, the way the block
faces/slopes and micro-climate factors
all can dictate planting, standard dis-
tances apart. Rent an expert. Even plan-
ning ahead to getting a particular variety
of tree prepared, eg. Quercus coccifera
Truffières are not forever.
There may be a horizon for truffière pro-
ductivity. In Spain, highest yields tend to
be from 14 to 24 years, then production
declines, even with irrigation. Re-inocu-
lating may change this. At some point,
the truffière may become financially un-
productive and need to be abandoned.
Around Teruel, they just close the gates,
walk away and plant somewhere else –
“because there’s plenty of poor quality
land that suits truffle better than any
other agriculture”.
Processing could boost our returns.
As our supply increases, is there an op-
portunity in Australia to can more of the
highqualitysecondgradetruffleandifso,
istherealocalandexportmarketforthis?
Aestivum doesn’t suck.
You can’t judge the flavour from pro-
cessed product. Maybe we shouldn’t
even consider it ‘summer truffle’ in
Australia? It’s a very forgiving variety
and can be planted in regions that are
antagonistic to black truffle mychori-
za. You’ll need to develop a cost anal-
ysis for it given the lower sale price.
(And bianchetto doesn’t suck either, but
none of the dealers we saw were selling
it in late January.)
Indicum has to stay out.
As long as we continue to ban the impor-
tation of Chinese truffle, (unless you’re
running a trade show when it seems no-
one bothers) we’ll have one significant
advantage over our export competitors,
A goodbye dinner
The tour concluded with another epic
meal back in Barcelona. Again, Mar-
cos had selected a chef understood
the potential of truffle. The differ-
ence between this slick shoebox sized
modern restaurant and the more ro-
bust country one (at Can Jubany - Jan
writes about that here) is obvious
from the menu, which went like this:
Royal truffle with porcini ‘confited’
Quail egg, truffle, parmentier and wasabi
Faba beans with octopus and truffle
Brioche surprise (a whole small truffle
inside for each guest)
Skate with vanilla, jerusalem artichokes
puree and white truffle
Dry aged beef with yellow beet, port
sauce and black truffle
Hot cheese and truffle toasted sandwich
Red berries with lime and passionfruit.
Butterscotch, caramel caviar, Talisker
icecream and truffle.
These dinners are sometimes over-
whelming, but I reckon a good truffle
degustation every season is the best
way to learn afresh how truffle works
(and how much the chef knows about
truffle).
If you can afford the trip and the time
away from your truffière, tours such as
Marcos’ (and by Dr. Christine Fischer,
also a friend of the ATGA family who runs
a similar one which was happening in
the weeks after ours) are eye-opening.
Fortunately for the Australian contin-
gent, all the group were English-speak-
ing, and Marcos sometimes dropped
into Spanish for further explanation for
the Mexican and Chilean participants.
Hello indicum my old friend
While we were visiting Laumont they
were processing large quantities of im-
ported Tuber indicum, and had boxes
of fresh indicum ready for dispatch and
(clearly marked) tinned indicum as part
of their range. If it’s not being eaten as
a fresh culinary truffle, it clearly goes to
‘industry’ (to add black-truffle appear-
ance even if it has no flavour). A kilo of
indicum costs about A$160. This year
its sale seemed to be driven as much
by the EU stipulated seasonal calendar.
Indicum falls outside the ‘official’ dates
when wild harvested (and now farmed)
varieties can be sold as fresh.
Manel Coll from the mushroom and
truffle supplier we visited at Conservas
Coll S.L outside Barcelona, said they
were currently supplying Melansporum,
Brumale and Indicum.
The dates as prescribed by the Govern-
ment (EU) as ‘official season’ were so
that wild harvesting does not deplete
truffle forests, and that Summer Truffle
doesn’t become Winter Truffle (which it
does). It doesn’t seem to have changed
with availability of cultivated.
The dry and unseasonably warm
weather meant that the hillsides were
covered in blossom from abandoned
almond groves. The almond market
crashed in Spain some years ago
with cheaper imports from Turkey.
There was some pain in that beauty as
we flashed past.
Add truffles to this, push go and get juice.
Dr. Xavier Vilanova, partner at MF&A
runs their research in bacteria and
owns a 4000 tree truffle orchard, with
melansporum and borchii
END