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TRUFFLES
Muy Bien! A fantastic classic combination: egg and truffl e. (poached egg, fried potatoe and black truffl e).
Culinairy feast at Masía Finca el Olmo in Sar- rión. At the table, Anne Pierangelo from France and Zsolt Merényi from Hongary.
Claude Murat of INRA in France during his closing speech of the congress.
and at the time there was no irrigation system in place. Irrigation is a hefty cost item, but it is absolutely essen- tial. It is not necessary to drill deep before the ground water is reached, and the water itself is of a very high quality. The trees are now irrigated every 20 days using micro-sprinklers , which just spray the tree and not the entire plantation. We were then treated to a demonstra- tion of truffle hunting. The well-trained truffle hound sniffed out three wonderful truffles within 10 minutes. Not a bad harvest for the end of the season, which- for black truffles- runs from November until early March. The experts in the group immediately assessed the truffles for their aroma. Everyone was impressed by the Spanish plantation. The visit to the truffle plantation was followed by a visit to Manjares de la Tierra, a company specialised in processing and selling truffles. Sarrión numbers 1086 inhabitants, a figure that is mainly thanks to the truffle. The company processes truffles in various ways- inclu- ding truffle oil, truffle vinegar, and chocolate bonbons with truffles. The symbiosis of the truffle with traditional regional produce such as sheep’s cheese has resul- ted in a number of culinary delicacies with a unique signature. The marketing is stylish. These epicurean jewels are crucial in helping to take agro-tourism here to the next level. Tastings and gastro-themed events are organised in many places during the truffle season, and the truffle tapas are simply divine. Sarrión is also home to a number of companies that produce mycorrhized seedlings. The roots of mainly oak and hazel are inoculated with the truffle spores. The largest company, Inotruf, produces 100,000 seedlings annually. All the seedlings are subjected to stringent inspections and are certified. At the heart of the expanse of truffle orchards stands a large building designed to welcome all the tourists and professional visitors. We were treated to a copious lunch, with every course featuring … truffles.
Processing the product Truffles are highly prized for their rich scent and should be harvested at the moment when their aroma is most intense. A truffle harvested too early has no value. But, as the post-harvest metabolic activity of the truffle is very high, just like other mushrooms, they can only be kept for a very short time. In addition, truffles naturally contain a lot of bacteria (for example pseu- domonas) and quickly produce mycelium on their surface. They have a shelf life of just 10 days. However, this is not so much of a problem today, as truffles can be ordered online and delivered within 24 hours. Of the
truffles offered for sale on the internet, 74% originate from China. Truffoir is a family-owned enterprise in Romania that can supply outstanding quality truffles quickly. Research performed by Dr. Blanco (University of Zaragoza) shows that new strategies for post-harvest handling and conservation can extend the shelf life by 20 days. So consumers can enjoy a truffle with excellent aromatic qualities even up to 30 days after it was har- vested! To achieve this, the truffle is cooled immedia- tely after harvesting, the surface is cleaned well with a brush, it is checked for any signs of insect damage, disinfected using an ultrasound technique and 50 per cent alcohol, treated with ionizing radiation and finally packed in a modified atmosphere (10%O2 /10%CO2).
A golden future The congress was closed with a speech by Claude Murat from INRA in France. He explained that the full genome of the black truffle was sequenced in 2010. The molecular research provides information about the evolution, ecology, life cycle and adaptation of the truffle to environmental factors. For many years it was assumed that truffle fungi multiplied vegetatively, but now it is appears that sexual reproduction is required to produce fruiting bodies! More insight into the repro- duction and symbiosis of the host plant and the fungi should lead to a greater understanding of why certain types of truffles, such as the expensive Italian white truf- fle cannot yet be cultivated and why the current forms of commercial truffle cultivation still throw up many controversial results. Truffle cultivation in Aragon is a reality and it has managed to place a new agri-food sector on the global map. This approach is clearly bearing fruit. As the French say so aptly: “La truffe, elle pousse le sol…”. Attending the congress was a very enjoyable experi- ence, and so was networking with attendees from so many different countries. Some of whom have devoted their entire lives to unravelling the secrets of the truffle, and who gladly shared their expertise and passion with others who are taking their first, tentative steps in the truffle business. This level of cooperation and enthusi- asm is sure to support the international community in developing truffle culture worldwide.
More pictures of this event soon on
www.mushroombusiness.com ◗
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