What is a truffle?
Truffles are hypogeous fungi of the Ascomycota division, Tuberales order, Tuberaceae family and Tuber genus. This kind of fungi needs to join to the thinnest roots of certain superior plants such as holm oaks, oaks, kermes oaks and so on.
Truffle varieties
Nowadays, there are over a hundred species of truffles around the world, of which only several dozens of the Tuber genus have been found in Europe. Just few of them are edible and appreciated.
Truffle farming
In the province of Teruel two kinds of truffles are harvested: Tuber nigrum, commonly called Winter Black Truffle or Black Truffle of Teruel, and Tuber aestivum Vitt, or Summer White Truffle. Our Mediterranean climate characterized for being extreme, moderately warm and dry with cold winters owing to the altitude, promotes the growth of suitable vegetation. Also, droughts, the precise and necessary rainfall, as well as an arid and chalky soil, added to the experience and efficient practices of our people, turn Teruel into the Spanish province with more prospects to produce high quality truffles.
Truffle harvesting
The truffle of Teruel, which is a hypogeous or subterranean fungus, is harvested with dogs that are conveniently trained for this difficult job. Such dogs can be different pure breeds or crossbreeds: Griffon, Drahthaar, Braco, Pointer…
Truffle map
Owing to ecologic requirements, truffle farming is fundamentally distributed in areas that have limited agronomic value and thus generally depressed, as it is the case of almost the entire province of Teruel.
