Fancy a truffle?

[Jolanta Zofia Nowak]

What is the current status of Tubers in the UK? Is climate change likely to have any impact on distribution?

[Fungus Ken]

I'm not sure anyone will have the answer on the impacts of climate change, but having the right type of soil is also an issue.

Here is a link to a BBC news article from last November.

BBC NEWS | England | West Yorkshire | Yorkshire bid for truffle centre

And here's the text:

Yorkshire bid for truffle centre
Report from BBC News. November 5th 2007
A rare fungus which has graced tables of the finest restaurants in the world could soon be grown in a former mining area of West Yorkshire. Gourmets who have previously paid through the nose for the pleasure of sampling scented truffles may soon have a mass-produced version on their plate.

Supermarket chain Asda is trying to cultivate spores from the black truffle on to tree roots near Knottingley. A spokesman said it was time "to bring truffles to the masses".

The soil in the area at Cridling Stubbs, close to the M62 motorway, is precisely the right type to cultivate the delicacy, the spokesman said.

Officials at the store chain intend to use the roots of oak and beech trees to host the spores in an experiment to find out if the prized truffle fungus could be grown on a commercial scale.

Spokesman Drew Kirk said: "We want to make truffles as popular as Yorkshire pudding or mushy peas.

"Until now truffles have been a food for millionaires but we want to make them affordable for mums, miners and milkmen by growing our own in the UK."

About 200 oak and beech trees will be planted at the site but the results will not be seen for between two and five years - the time it will take the spores to develop into useable truffles.

Traditionally grown in south east France where 80% of the black truffles are harvested, the fungus often sells for between £140 to £420 per kilo.

Specially-trained dogs are often used to locate the growing fungus under the trees' roots.

In France and Spain pigs are used to locate some of the truffles, but owners have to be quick - given a chance the pigs eat the valuable delicacy.


So watch this space.

Ken

[m1.carson]

Hi Ken,

My memory is very fungusy, but haven't they managed to grow commercial black truffles in Australia, it was in the papers a few years ago, I think they just happened to find one with their feet.

Max.

[Fungus Ken]

A quick trawl of the internet shows you are quite right. There is even an Australian Truffle Growers Association.

Here's just one example of truffle growing in Tasmania:

Perigord Truffles - Thirty Australian Champions Shaping the future for rural Australia

From the few websites I have glanced through it seems like it will be some time yet before it is known for sure whether growing truffles in Australia can a commercial success or not.

Ken

[NickCantle]

Not the whole 'climate change' thing again Jolanta

I personally don't think that 'climate change' will affect the state of Tubers and if it does, then there's nothing we can do about it. If temperature does have anything to do with their growth, then if there's a rise in temperature, there should be a high threshold What? I burnt my legs in the Perigord

[Stewy]

Anyone fancy having a go with one of these?

Home | Mychorrhizal Systems Ltd

[Fungus Ken]

I think you would need a fair old size of land to plant up to give yourself a good prospect of success... and the right soils. I'm not sure the concrete out in my back yard would be the place to start.

Interestingly, they are making no claims that you could grow black truffles successfully in the UK:

"We offer trees inoculated with either the Summer truffle (Tuber aestivum var. uncinatum) which is completely suited to the UK climate, or the Black Winter truffle (Tuber melanosporum) which is more suited to warmer climates on mainland Europe. Both species are supplied with full planting instructions and certificates."

Which makes the Asda experiment all the more interesting in demonstrating whether it is possible to grow them commercially over here. Personally I don't think I'd have picked Yorkshire for its Mediterranean climate but who knows?

Ken

[Fungus Ken]

Originally Posted by NickCantle

Not the whole 'climate change' thing again Jolanta

I personally don't think that 'climate change' will affect the state of Tubers and if it does, then there's nothing we can do about it.

I agree there's probably not much we can do about it, but if warmer average temperatures more typical of mainland Europe are a factor then we may well have more suitable temperature ranges in the south of England over the coming years.

But temperature is only one of the variables. The pattern of rainfall and the soil type are also major factors and there's not a lot you can do about these either. Some landowners may end up with suitable habitats and weather conditions but it will be pot luck. It would also be a big investment to turn land over to such a risky investment so I doubt many people would have the courage of their convictions.

Ken

[NickCantle]

Well Ken, when I'm the wise Mycologist and photographer, i'll see what I can do pal

[Fungus Ken]

Originally Posted by NickCantle

Well Ken, when I'm the wise Mycologist and photographer, i'll see what I can do pal

So that will be next week then?

Ken