Although we have fresh truffle all year round thanks to the summer harvests, undoubtedly in mid-November the collection of this wild diamond begins. In this article we talk about the black winter truffle, found with the help of Dogs, usually. Find out here where it grows and what markets with her as the protagonist are organized in different parts of Spain, as well as her gastronomic use.
Sniffing the black truffle
La black truffle o tuber melanosporum, Also called Périgord truffle it is an underground mushroom. This lives associated with the roots of trees, mostly holm oaks and oaks, but also hazelnuts. Your harvest begins in November and culminates in the month of March. This is done with Dogs, although a few years ago it was also performed with pigs or wild boars. For this it is very important to ensure the proper training of these dogs, undoubtedly an arduous task.
It begins when the puppy is suckled and the mother's nipple is impregnated with the aroma of black truffle. All this continues with a work of training complicated posterior and that has patience as its main value. The importance of the dogs in this product is vital, since the truffles develop in the subsoil between the 5 and 25 cm deep. But the high level of smell of the dogs.
Black truffle cultivation and markets
Although they exist wild truffles, currently the market is covered with cultivation truffles. This is produced with seedlings of oaks mycorrhized with truffle spores. The process is slow and the first fruits will be collected from the 7-8 years of the plantation, but it will not be until the tenth year when they will be in full production. Currently the main producing countries are France, Spain and Italy, although cultivation is spreading in countries such as China or Morocco.
In the case of Spain, plantations and consumption are growing. All this is shown by the number of markets and fairs that are in the months of harvest. Among the most relevant we find:
En Sarrion (Teruel) the fair fitruf, on December 6, 7 and 8; in metauten (Navarra), on December 6; in sparkles (Barcelona) on December 14 and 15; or in Beeing (Soria) on February 15 and 16, 2020. In this last month a fair is also organized in the town of Morella (Castellón) and it is already in March when Solsona (Barcelona) hosts the Fair of the trump and the tofona.
Culinary use
At Lóleo Eventos, kitchen, the use of black truffle It is very versatile, as it pairs with rice, stews, eggs, pasta ... Its aroma is very particular and varies depending on the area and the collection tree. Currently they are made many products with black truffle. The most popular are cheeses, oils and sausages that provide a differential flavor and aroma to the product.
La truffle conservation it is very important to be able to fully enjoy it. It must be kept in a place cool, dry and without light. Inside a glass jar, in the refrigerator and with a few grains of rice as an absorbent of excessive moisture, it is a good solution for its conservation. Another way to keep it is in the freezer or introduce it in distillate like brandy. At the time of use, it can be cleaned with fresh water and laminated over the dishes to be tasted.
