10.03.2020

Truffle deer mushroom in folk medicine. The meaning of reindeer truffle in the Great Soviet Encyclopedia, BSE. What does a black truffle look like?

Truffles belong to the truffle genus of the truffle family (Tuberaceae). These are edible mushrooms, some of which are valuable delicacies.

The truffle's fruiting body is located underground, it has a round or tuberous shape and a fleshy or gristly consistency. The size is variable, from the size of a hazelnut to a potato tuber. On top of the fruiting body there is a leathery layer, smooth, cracking or covered with warts. When cut, the tissue of the fruiting body has a marble pattern, in which light and dark veins alternate.

Truffles grow in deciduous forests, under trees specific for each species. For example, black truffle and summer truffle grow under oaks, beeches, hornbeams, and hazels; Piedmontese truffles are found next to birches, poplars, elms, lindens, rowan trees, and hawthorns.

Truffles are harvested in the fall or in early spring. For this purpose, specially trained dogs or pigs are often used.

Real truffles are edible mushrooms. The most valuable types are the Perigord, Piedmont and winter truffles. Their pulp has a mushroom flavor with a hint of roasted seeds or walnuts and a strong characteristic aroma. After soaking in water, the truffle acquires flavor soy sauce. Truffles are often added raw to dishes at the very end of cooking in order to preserve the aroma of these mushrooms.

Types of truffle mushroom

The fruiting body is underground, tuberous or round, 2.5-10 cm in diameter. The surface is brown-black or bluish-black, covered with black warts. The pulp of the young mushroom is dense, becomes loose over time, the color changes from whitish to brown-yellow and gray-brown, light veins form a marble pattern. The taste is nutty, sweetish, the aroma is pleasant and strong.

It is found in mixed and deciduous forests, on calcareous soils, under oaks, beeches, hornbeams, birches, in Central Europe, in Russia. The fruiting season begins in summer and continues until early autumn.

The fruit body is irregularly spherical to almost round shape, 8-15 cm in diameter. The weight of an adult mushroom is 1-1.5 kg. The surface is covered with warts, 2-3 mm in size. The color of a young mushroom is reddish-violet, turning black with age. Pulp first white, then becomes gray or gray-violet with white and yellowish-brown marble veins. It has a strong and pleasant smell, reminiscent of musk.

Grows in France, Italy, Switzerland, Ukraine. Ripens from November to February-March.

The fruiting body is underground, has the shape of irregular tubers measuring 2-12 cm and weighing 30-300 g. The surface is uneven, velvety, light ocher or brownish, the skin is not separated from the pulp. The pulp is dense, whitish or yellow-gray, sometimes reddish, with a white and creamy-brown marbled pattern. The taste is pleasant, the smell is spicy, similar to cheese with garlic.

Mycorrhiza-forming with oak, willow and poplar, linden. It is found in deciduous forests in northwestern Italy (Piedmont) and France. The white Piedmontese truffle harvest lasts from September 21 to January 31.

The fruiting body is underground, tuberous, round or irregular shape, 3-9 cm in diameter. The surface is reddish-brown, in old mushrooms it is coal-black, and becomes rusty when pressed. The pulp is hard, light, gray or pinkish-brown in color with a white or reddish marble pattern; in older mushrooms it is dark. It has a strong characteristic aroma and a pleasant taste with a slight bitterness.

Grows in deciduous forests, on calcareous soil, most often under oaks. Distributed in France, Italy and Spain. The season lasts from November to March.

Poisonous and inedible types of truffle mushroom

A mushroom inedible for humans.

The fruit body is round in shape, 1-4 cm in size, yellow-brown in color. The smell is pungent, earthy, similar to the smell of potatoes. The surface is finely tuberculate.

Found in Europe and North America, in Chile, China, Japan and Taiwan. Grows under coniferous trees, as well as under chestnuts, beeches and oaks, at all times of the year, en masse in late summer and autumn.

Oak or common hazel seedlings are used as a substrate for growing truffles. The seedlings are kept in sterile conditions for several weeks to allow the mycelium to take root. After this, the seedlings are planted in the nursery.

The soil for growing truffles should have a pH of 7.5-7.9 and a high content of humus and calcium. It should not contain stones, weeds and should not be contaminated with other types of mushrooms. Before planting, deep mechanical processing is carried out. The soil is not fertilized before planting. Environment must be dry, with average temperature 16.5-22°C.

Seedlings are planted in the spring. No more than 500 trees per hectare. Pour a little water into the hole, cover the seedling tightly and water it again. The planting depth is 75 cm. Place next to each seedling upper layer forest soil with fallen leaves and plastic film.

The edible part of the truffle is the fruiting body containing the spores. The fruiting bodies are located at a depth of about 20 cm. They are dug out with small shovels. An indicator of the presence of a truffle harvest is the so-called truffle flies.

Calorie content of truffle

The calorie content of 100 g of truffle is 25 kcal. Energy value:

Proteins:………………….3 g (12 kcal)
Fat:……………………….0.5 g (5 kcal)
Carbohydrates:………………….2 g (8 kcal)

The maximum weight of a truffle reaches 1 kg, although there are also very tiny specimens the size of a pea.
According to one hypothesis, mature truffles contain anandamide, a psychotropic substance that is similar in effect to marijuana.
In France and Italy, since the 15th century, it has been common to search for truffles growing in the forest with the help of search dogs and pigs, which can smell truffles underground at a distance of up to 20 m.
In the 19th century, truffles began to be cultivated; at that time, up to 1000 tons of these mushrooms were collected. IN last years The truffle harvest is about 50 tons. Mushrooms are grown in the USA, Spain, Sweden, New Zealand, Australia and the UK. And in beginning of XXI century, China became a major producer of truffles in the world. The Chinese variety is cheaper, but its quality is lower.

Italy and France are rich in mushroom places, but the species that will be discussed further also grows in America and Asia. Unique specimens of truffles are also found in the Middle East. The geography of distribution of this mushroom is quite interesting, as is the species itself.

The truffle, or as it is also called the “Gastronomic Diamond,” is rightfully considered the most expensive and rare mushroom in the whole world, since the demand for it is much higher than the supply. It gained its popularity due to its unsurpassed taste and aroma properties.

The truffle mushroom belongs to the genus of marsupial mushrooms and is an edible representative of the truffle family. The fruiting body of the fungus has a bumpy surface and a tuberous shape. A cross section of the mushroom shows a marble pattern. In its structure it resembles an old potato tuber. Despite the rather unpresentable appearance, for gourmets this mushroom is a real treasure and a desirable specimen.

Description of truffle

The truffle mushroom grows mostly in Europe, in deciduous forests. The mushroom forms a mutually beneficial symbiosis with the roots different trees, such as oak or linden. The truffle gets what it needs from the tree nutrients, and in return protects him from various diseases. It prefers only warm climatic conditions.

The distinctive feature of the mushroom from all others is that it grows only underground at a depth of 10-30 cm, small families. There are both small specimens and very large ones, the weight of which can reach more than 1 kg. There is quite a large number of varieties of truffles, but the most valuable in cooking are:

White Piedmontese.
Black Perigord.
Summer.
Winter.

This expensive delicacy cannot be purchased in a regular store; it can only be purchased in specialized departments or directly from suppliers. Mostly, prestigious restaurants order truffles in small quantities. The high cost and inaccessibility of the product is explained by the difficulty of obtaining them.

In low-yield years, the price can increase several tens of times. Industrial cultivation of truffles is most developed in Italy and France. They are usually used exclusively for preparing a variety of delicious dishes with great taste.

When and how to collect truffles

Many mushroom pickers want to find such a valuable truffle mushroom in Russia, but this is very difficult. For this purpose, you will need certain knowledge and specially trained dogs or pigs that can smell the truffle underground. Also, some experts in “silent” hunting pay attention to the swarm of midges that circle in the place where the truffle is hiding.

After collecting mushrooms, you need to remember the place to return next year for a new harvest, but only if the mycelium was not disturbed. The found fruit must be dug up very carefully so as not to damage the mycelium. The collection of truffles depends on the type of mushroom and the growing season; it is best to collect it in late autumn or early spring.

Inedible truffle lookalikes

Even the noble truffle has inedible look-alikes, which should not be eaten as they can be dangerous to the human body. These mushrooms include:

Reindeer truffle.
False truffle.

Despite their external similarity, these mushrooms belong to completely different families. Symptoms of poisoning manifest themselves as follows: 1

DEER TRUFFLE

truffle (Elaphomyces cervinus), an underground fungus of the marsupial class. The fruiting body resembles a forest or Walnut, with thick warty brownish bark. When ripe, the pulp turns into black-brown dust, consisting mainly of spores. Usually grows in pine forests, in sandy soil, shallow from the surface. Eaten by deer, hares, and squirrels. Has nothing to do with real truffles.

Great Soviet Encyclopedia, TSB. 2012