A Truffle is the edible fruiting body (tuber) of an Ectomycorrhizal Fungi that grows underground near the roots of certain Trees. Truffles are most known by either Black Truffles (Tuber melanosporum), White Truffles (Tuber magnatum), Summer Truffles (Tuber aestivum), or Burgundy Truffles (Tuber uncinatum). Boasting more than 180 different edible species and around 13 of those commercially available, Truffles are as diverse as the trees they are found living in symbiosis with. Commonly found near Oak, Beech, Hazelnut, Poplar, Pine; truffles can be found living in symbiosis with many species.
Why are truffles so irresistible?
Truffles bring a complex and unique blend of flavors and aromas that make them widely popular in the culinary world. This culinary fascination is due largely to their complex chemical makeup. Truffles contain a mix of Aromatic compounds that give them their distinct smell. Depending on the truffle species, and where they grow these compounds can vary greatly, giving each variety of truffles their own strong, distinct aromas that set them apart from each other.
The main VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) in truffles are sulfur compounds like 2,4-dithiapentane, dimethyl sulfide, and dimethyl disulfide. These compounds are caused by soil microbes and are largely responsible for the distinct aromas that attract humans to them from a culinary standpoint. Other VOCs that contribute to a truffle’s scent include a blend of ketones, alcohols, and other aromatic compounds. In all, truffles contain around twenty to fifty volatiles depending on variety and location.
Truffles have a funky irresistible aroma. Along with VOCs, truffles also produce Pheromones that mimic the scent of mammalian reproductive pheromones of animals such as pigs and humans. It is believed that truffles have evolved the ability to mimic these compounds to attract insects and mammals into eating them, This aromatic mimicry of pheromones along with the potent VOCs cause a strong reaction with your Olfactory system. Pigs can detect the irresistible odor from 20 meters away, despite the truffle being buried inches underground, and Dogs can detect truffles from 100 meters away. The aroma of truffles diffuses through the soil, allowing animals to locate and dig them up as a food source. When the truffles are consumed, their spores are then spread around the forest and help the Fungi disperse in a process known as Endozoochory.