Recommended by APS PRESS!

By Ian R. Hall, Gordon T. Brown, and Alessandra Zambonelli

"Aficionados, chefs, and cooking students can learn a lot here about these lords of the fungi realm."
-- Mark Knoblauch, Booklist

"You should buy this book. ... It is pretty amazingly thoughtful and comprehensive and will surely become dirt-stained and probably also soiled by your truffle pig as you develop your empire. Really."
-- Kathie Hodge, Cornell Mushroom Blog

"A fascinating new book."
-- Cindy McNatt, Orange County Register

Whether the world's best truffles are found in Piedmont or Périgord inspires impassioned debate, but the effects of dwindling supply and insatiable demand for the elusive, ultimate mushroom are unquestionable: prices through the roof, intrigue and deception, and ever more intensive efforts to cultivate. As international mycologist Ian Hall and his colleagues have written, “Attempts at taming the truffle, of ordering its growth and harvest, now span the globe, and there has been some success in unlocking the secrets of what French researchers have aptly referred to as la grande mystique.”

The secrets of when, how, and where to collect truffles have been passed from generation to generation since ancient times, but artificial cultivation remains the holy grail. Here, in the most comprehensive practical treatment of the gastronomic treasure to date, the art and science of the high-stakes pursuer come together. This extensively illustrated volume brings the latest research and decades of experience to enthusiasts and professional alike, with coverage of the leading truffle areas including France, Italy, Spain, and Asia, and the newcomers: Australia, New Zealand, and the United States.

The authors leaven their enthusiasm and expertise with wry humor, exploring the history and newest techniques. They describe in detail the commercial species and their host plans, natural habitats, cultivation and maintenance, pests and diseases, and harvesting with pigs, dogs, truffle flies, and even the electronic nose.

Production in truffle plantations can begin after only three years, but often the rewards may take more than a decade. So there is plenty of time to read and prepare, and no better resource than this one.

About the Authors

Contents

Preface
Acknowledgements

Chapter One: From the Past Comes the Present
    Regions of Renown
    La Grande Mysitque
    The Golden Age of Truffles
    Magical Powers and medicinal Virtues

Chapter Two: Science to the Rescue
    Mycorrhiza: An Intimate Relationship
    Types of Mycorrhizas
    Structure of Extomycorrhizas
    Underground Warfare
    The Collapse of Truffle Production
    New Techniques
   
Chapter Three: Identifying Truffle Species
    A Quick Lesson In Classification, Nomenclature, and Taxonomy
    Identifying Species of Truffles
    Périgord Black Truffle
    Burgundy or Bummer Truffle
    Winter Truffle
    Bagnoli Truffle or Truffle Ménsentérique
    Smooth Black Truffle
    Asiatic Truffles
    Italian White Truffle
    Bianchetto and Other Pale-Coloured European Species
    North American Pale-Coloured Truffles
    Oregon Black Truffles
    Sweet Truffle
    Desert Truffles
    Inedible and Poisonous Truffles
    Other Species of Truffle
    False Truffles
    Identifying Truffle Species from Their Mycorrhizas
    Identifying Truffles Using Molecular Techniques

Chapter Four: The Habitats of Some Commercial Truffles
    Périgord Black Truffle
    Burgundy or Summer Truffle
    Italian White Truffle
    Bianchetto
    Desert Truffle

Chapter Five: Establishing a Truffiére
    Competing Ectomycorrhizal Fungi
    Choosing a Site for a Truffiére
    Soil Texture and Drainage Characteristics
    Soil Nutrients
    Site Preparation
    Planting Density and Tree Arangement
    Irrigation System
    Competing Ectomycorrhizal Fungi on Nursery Stock
    Other Plant Specifications
    Choice of Host Plant
    Double Cropping and Interplanting
    When and How to Plant
    Desert Truffles

Chapter Six: Maintenance of Truffiéres
    Maintenace Methods
    Working the Ground
    Brûlé
    Herbicides Versus Soil Cultivation
    Soil Moisture
    Fertilizers
    Nutrient Deficiency
    Plant Diseases
    Invertebrate Pests
    Truffle Pest, Diseases, and Browsers
    Pruning
    Thinning and the Rejuvenation of Truffiéres

Chapter Seven: The Rewards
    Le Cavage: The Harvest
    Regulations and Reality
    A Time-Honoured Ritual
    Failure to Produce
    Cultivation Outside of Europe
    Yields
    Prices
    Marketing by Fair Means or Four
    Truffles Without Plants?
    Future

Appendix
    1. Plants that form arbuscular mycorrhizas
    2. Plant that may harbour fungi that might compete with truffle fungi
    3. Some host plants of commercially important species of truffle
    4. Combined production of Périgord black and winter truffles for Frank and Spain, 1990-2005
    5. Total truffle production in Italy, 1950-2006
    6. Some desert truffle
    7. Climatic data for various centres adjacent to or with similar climates to truffle-producing areas
    8. Physical and chemical properties of Tuber magnatum soils
    9. Climatic feature in Gard, Drôme, and Vaucluse and production figure for Carpentras
    10. Factors that might trigger fruiting or affect productivity of truffiéres
    11. Manganese fertilizers
    12. Commonly used boron fertilizers
    13. Authorized harvesting dates for truffles in France and Italy

Truffle Organizations and Plant and Equipment Suppliers
References
Index

2007; 6” x 9” hardcover; 304 pages; 158 color photos; 11 drawings; 5 maps; Item No. 28600

28600$29.95