plantation

NEWS

Prof. Paul Thomas (our Managing Director) has appeared on several TV programmes, radio shows and in many written articles. Specific areas of expertise include the biology, cultivation, hunting and cooking methods of the wide range of truffle species. If you would like an interview or require information for an article then please use our contact form and we would be very happy to help.

Below, our most recent news articles are displayed and our back-catalogue is open for browsing.

June 17, 2015

Anosmia and interpretation of truffle flavour

Anosmia is a condition that hampers the sufferer’s sense of taste. Whilst total anosmia is extremely rare, partial anosmia, the inability to taste a small number of specific flavours, is actually quite common. Amazingly, up to 30% of the population cannot detect androstenone, which is one of the chemicals used in scent-based truffle hunting. There are a whole host of factors that contribute to the truffle scent, so even if you can’t detect androstenone you can still enjoy truffles, but it does perhaps help to explain why peoples’ interpretation of the truffle does tend to vary.
June 17, 2015

Media article

Our first Newspaper article of 2010 appeared in the Telegraph business supplement and can be read by clicking here. Several more truffle-based articles are being prepared for publication and we will be displaying details here and in the newsletter.
June 16, 2015

Visit us at FAMRA Trade show in January

The 27th of January is an important date for your diary as we’ll be exhibiting at the National Farmers’ Retail and Markets Association (FARMA), the Farm and More Farm Diversification show 2010. Based in Shropshire (UK) the show is focused on diversification in farming. Come along and visit us on-site to find out more about truffle farming and how you can get involved with our partnership programme. Also, remember that we operate internationally so no matter where you are based, come along for a chat about the possibilities of growing truffles in your area.
June 16, 2015

Forbes extravagant meals and truffles raise millions for charity

December saw Forbes compile a list of the 11 most extravagant meals. Truffles featured three times, with a White Truffle Dinner at Les Amis (Singapore) coming fourth, at 800USD per person, not including wine! In fifth place was the 5,000USD burger by Fleur de Lys chef Hubert Keller (Las Vegas) featuring kobe beef, foie gras and truffles. Finally, in ninth place was the Chef’s Table at L’Espadon Paris with a menu that includes “cappuccino-style” mashed potatoes, which featured truffles and cocoa.
June 16, 2015

Tuber magnatum auction update

The 11th Global Alba Truffle Auction was recently held in the small town of Grinzane Cavour near Alba, Italy. Private-equity investor Joseph Bae, of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., Hong Kong, set his sights on an exquisite Alba Truffle. This particular truffle weighed in at 750gms (1lb 10oz) and was eventually bought by Mr Bae for a princely sum of 1 million Hong Kong Dollars, or £90,000.
June 16, 2015

Science presented in Vienna

This month we’re excited to be presenting our research at the First European Conference on the “European” Truffle Tuber aestivum/uncinatum. Hosted at the Biodiversity Center of the University of Vienna, this is a small gathering of scientists that we hope will strengthen in numbers with each meeting.
June 16, 2015

Truffle trees from local seeds

Location, location, location. The timeless advice on buying property can also be linked to truffle cultivation. Here at Mycorrhizal Systems we believe seed provenance to be really quite important. Many of our new plantations are started with a proportion of the planting stock grown from locally sourced seed. An example of this is our plantings in Baltic countries. The majority of the plantations are still planted with seed that we have tried-and-tested and proven to be an excellent host, but the percentage produced with attention to provenance is important for a number of reasons.
June 16, 2015

Wild truffles in Finland

Several wild borchii truffles were found in Finland only recently after a scientific survey. The small quantity previously reported may not be indicative of the country’s wild-harvest potential as a recent article in the Helsingin Sanomat (international edition) proves. With the increase of truffle interest in the Finnish media, truffle awareness has grown and so too have truffle finds.
June 16, 2015

Truffle identification

The prestige and price is a constant carrot to encourage many would-be truffle hunters and we’re often sent pictures of finds from around the world. Very rarely do these turn out to be actual edible truffles, so it is always wise to get your haul identified. Truffles are generally quite a distinctive group of fungi, but the promise of something very special can lead people to convince themselves that what they’ve found is actually more truffle-like than it really is. The number one fungi mistaken for truffles are earth balls ( Scleroderma
  • Samantha Ellis

    From guidance in orchard establishment, tree supply and management to our own truffle distribution network, we've got all angles covered

    Samantha Ellis
    Business Development
  • Dr Paul Thomas

    Thorough and scientific methodologies, attention to detail and having a committed partner at every step of the way, is the only reliable approach to truffle cultivation

    Dr Paul Thomas
    General Director
  • Daniel Paskin

    With our own genetics lab and research sites in 23 countries, we are truly world-leading in the field

    Daniel Paskin
    Nursery Manager
July 14, 2015

Spanish truffle plantation

High in the mountains of Spain our Spanish partners have over 10,000 winter truffle trees planted. Established over several seasons and fully irrigated, the site is showing good mycorrhizal development. Although the site is young, dog-training preparations are currently under-way to unearth any early truffles. Having visited the site earlier in the year we are hoping for great things from this location.
July 14, 2015

Summer truffles ready to ship, worldwide

The summer truffle (Tuber aestivum syn. uncinatum) season is in full sway and we can now deliver these high-quality truffles worldwide. If you’d like to order, any quantity from 100g to 100kg, please do get in contact on: Shop@PlantationSystems.com  
July 14, 2015

Tuber indicum, the Chinese truffle, identification

The Chinese truffle is infamous for its spread throughout truffle markets. The species is often mixed with the more expensive Tuber melanosporum to increase the weight of a batch of truffles and to increase the price that a vendor can receive. The problem is huge worldwide and this has led to many people claiming to be able to identify differences in the two species.
July 14, 2015

Edible Mycorrhizal Mushroom conference

Earlier this month, the Seventh International Workshop on Edible Mycorrhizal Mushrooms (IWEMM7) took place in La Antigua, Guatemala. The conference was superb, with all aspects of the science and economical value of edible mycorrhizal mushrooms (EMM) covered in the program. The program focuses on the exchange of knowledge and experiences between the world’s leading experts in EMM, and allows the presentation of new data and research advances on edible mycorrhizal fungi.