History of Italian White Truffle

THE WHITE TRUFFLE
by Augusto Tocci

For more than two thousand years owe wonders what a truffle is, but the response has never been definitively. Then imagine about the white truffle, especially that of Tuscany, which is plenty, but unfortunately in completely different territories and areas of the region.
The thing that still remains the most mysterious one of the white truffle is its scent. This sublime aroma has never been adequately described, because it is simply difficult to compare with other fragrances.
Someone mentioned it is similar to garlic scent, others to the parmesan, eggs cooked to others but also to the cabbage, imagining to consider mixed together. This however is only an attempt to describe a scent that has absolutely no equals in nature and which, therefore, an underground route that is to complicate the situation to all scholars, since it is not possible to investigate in light of the sun.
The same colour of this mysterious fruit, has not the classic colours of living organisms. We call it white truffle but it has nothing white except a bit of grain in his flesh. It is wrong to call it yellow, although sometimes these tones are evident, as it is not fair to call it nutty colour. It remains a tone of indeterminate colour, which often varies with the harvest period and the relationship to the plants of our forests. For example those who are in symbiosis with Salicone (Salix caprea) often have evident reddish stains.

If the scent and colour are mysterious, the taste is unique as well and it is considered exceptional compared to other truffles and to any other known mushrooms.
All these reasons suggest the truffle as a kind of phenomenon, which has long been studied and is continuing with results that are not completely full at the moment.

Today, some of these secrets are beginning slowly to be perceived, because there has been progress in several directions, focusing on the research that studies trees of our forests, and particularly their root system and the ground where truffles occur naturally.
This research also studies the climate, because it is quite clear that this plays a key role on the development of the plant and its truffle fruiting. It is necessary to repeat that this is a very difficult search as the truffles live underground and hidden so well and a man can only detect them when an animal like a dog, can sniff out the scent of ripe ones.

The white truffle is a subterranean fungus, belonging to the class of ascomiceti who lives near the roots of forest plants to which it is joined by a dense network of ife miceliari which are practically invisible. The shape of the white truffle is very variable, as variables are its dimensions.
Usually this fungus shows a globular shape, more or less where you can distinguish the outer part, called the peridium, which also serves as a protective shield of the inner part, called flesh, which is the real pulp which contains the organs of reproduction fungus. The size of the white truffles are greatly variable, ranging from those of a hazelnut to that of a melon in exceptional cases, with the prevalence of a size that wander over a large walnut.


Is it possible to cultivate it?

Truffles do not grow, while it is possible to cultivate the forest plants that live in symbiosis with truffles, meaning this term the union of the mycelium of Tuber with radical hair plants themselves. This union is called mycorrhized, and this is based on modern science which is called the "truffle crop".

Plants which are mycorrhized are entrusted to the soil environment suitable for life and fruiting of the truffle, and after ten years, if things are done in accordance with the best practice, there comes the fruit that is the production of those truffles for our food.

From all this, considering that the growth is also done with the help of the dog that detects the mature truffle, we understand very well that this is not a genuine cultivation. To confirm this, please note that these plants are truffle never fertilized or treated with pesticides, that would only destroy the relationship of coexistence between plant and fungus.

Nurseries specializing in producing so called truffle plants, start from the mycelium of Tuber and plants that are typical of our woods, trying to cause the phenomenon of young mycorrhized seedlings of about a year or two, which then will be made homeless in the land suited for the production of the truffle.

With this system outstanding results have been achieved in recent decades, with a significant production in the field of Tuber melanosporum and Tuber aestivum, while for the white truffle results are still very far ahead. However, the research is increasingly active and depth in order to achieve a concrete result, trying to refine the techniques for this species which is much more sensitive than those described here above.

It is still a Tuscan case of some glimpse of hope because the only outcome to the world production of fruit bodies of Tuber magnatum is a truffle nursery in Valtiberina (Sansepolcro) and an experimental facility to Via Maggio of badia Tedalda, both in the province of Arezzo. In the first case it is the truffle nursery of  Bruno Vecchi, a truffle expert, which is made of white poplar. In the second case it is a nursery built with lime plants nearly  fifteen years ago.
Therefore we have not to think that in future we can not rely on interesting productions, as it happens with blacks truffles.