Last month we had the pleasure of harvesting Desert Truffles in North Africa. The desert truffles are not so aromatic or tasty as European truffles but are still good to eat. There are more than 30 different species of Desert Truffle, and they all (as the name suggests) grow in the hot, dry regions around the Mediterranean, from Southern Spain through North Africa, to the Middle East and Turkey.
The traditional way of finding these knobbly, pale, whitish-brown truffles, is by hitting the ground with a stick, to see where there is resistance. Nowadays the
collector will be looking for the right plants, such as Helioanthemum spp., and
around them the little cracks and humps that are indicative of the truffles growing below. The dusk and dawn light will also help to show the lumps and
bumps in the sand where these truffles are.

Sadly, because of the lack of scent, they don’t command the prices of European truffles and are often used as subsistence food. However, like European truffles they can indeed be cultivated.
If you would like more information on the Desert Truffle or any other species please contact us at Shop@plantationsystems.com