The Crimean truffle is common on the coast of the peninsula in wooded areas. The mushroom from the Truffle family is classified under the scientific name Tuber aestivum.
The Crimean species is also known by other definitions: edible, Russian black, earthen or black heart. To add value to the product, mushrooms are sometimes called Burgundy mushrooms, although these are different species.
Crimean truffle is often found in the thickets of young oak forests
Do truffle mushrooms grow in Crimea?
On the Black Sea coast, including in Crimea, black summer representatives, or the so-called black Russians, are found quite often, according to mushroom pickers who specialize in searching and collecting expensive underground prey. They are found in forests and plantings where broad-leaved species grow - oaks, beeches, hornbeams. The Crimean species is also sometimes found in coniferous plantations. One of the famous mycologists of our time refutes unconfirmed claims that the winter black species also grows in Crimea, since there have been no known cases of finding these mushrooms.
They start looking for summer black truffle on the Crimean coast from May until December.
Types of mushrooms
There are many varieties of truffle mushrooms in the world. Let's look at the most popular types:
Summer. It grows in Russia, the ripening period occurs in the summer months. Its size can be 10 cm. Its taste is associated with nuts.
Ginger. Found in Europe and North America. On Russian territory it grows in Siberia.
White. Distributed in France and Italy. White truffle is one of the most expensive and tastes like cheese with garlic. The size can be about 12 cm.
American. It grows only on the coast of the United States of America, mainly in the top layer of soil. Therefore, this type of mushroom has the taste of grass and flowers. Small in size, up to 5 cm.Red. The gib is very small, does not grow more than 4 cm. It can be found in European countries. It tastes like coconut with wine.
Red shiny. Smaller in size than a red mushroom, approximately 3 cm in diameter. This truffle can be collected from May to August in deciduous forests. However, it can often be found in coniferous forests. It tastes like a mixture of wine, coconut and pear.
What does the Crimean truffle mushroom look like?
The fruiting bodies of Crimean summer truffles are found at a depth of 3-12 cm, in some places much deeper. Ripe mushrooms sometimes come to the surface.
A black summer species ranging in size from 2 to 11 cm. The fruit bodies of Crimean truffles, as in the photo, are irregular in shape, tuberous or round. The skin is black-blue, may have a brown tint, and is warty. Large tubercles on the skin of a pyramidal shape.
Russian black truffle pulp is light
When young, the flesh is yellow-white or grayish-yellow, then gradually turns brown, the yellow color becomes darker. The cut shows light beige veins, which are compared to a natural marble pattern. The flesh of the Crimean type is dense, juicy, then becomes loose. The smell is pleasant, quite strong.
Some experts believe that the mushroom smells like algae or fallen leaves. The taste of the sweetish pulp is compared to a walnut.
The mass of spores of Crimean underground mushrooms is yellow-brown.
Truffle hunting
In a word, Crimea has every chance in the near future to turn into a real mecca for lovers of the delicacy. In the meantime, some enthusiasts even organize unusual tours on the peninsula - truffle hunting. It is a two-hour walk through the forest, accompanied by an experienced instructor and a specially trained dog. At the final point of the route, tourists will have a small picnic with snacks from Crimean products and tasting of harvested truffles. Such outings are carried out from June to November in groups of up to four people. The asking price is 24 thousand rubles.
However, it is better to be careful with such entertainment, because the black summer truffle growing on the peninsula is a Red Book specimen.
Therefore, it is better to give preference to truffles grown on specialized farms. There are several of these in Crimea. By the way, according to the Chairman of the Union of Mushroom Pickers of Russia, Candidate of Biological Sciences, mycologist Mikhail Vishnevsky, cultivating the black summer truffle on the peninsula is a troublesome task, but quite feasible. The expert advises starting with purchasing a suitable plot.
— Its size should be no less than a hectare, which will allow effectively placing 400 trees at a distance of about three meters from each other. Otherwise, it will not be possible to create the necessary microclimate,” explains the scientist.
Then you need to take care of irrigation, soil mineralization and creating a slope (truffles do not grow on a purely horizontal surface), the specialist continues. If everything is done correctly, then after 7-8 years you can harvest the first harvest. The Crimean truffle is somewhat inferior to its European relative in taste and aroma. But it also costs less - about 5-6 thousand rubles per kilogram. By the way, a kilogram harvest can be harvested under one single tree, says the mycologist.
Where does truffle grow in Crimea?
The Crimean species of recognized delicious mushrooms creates mycorrhiza with broad-leaved or other trees, less often with pine trees. Typically, the fruiting bodies of the summer variety are found in places where hornbeam, beech, oak or birch grow. On the Crimean coast they are also searched for near pine trees. Often, specialist mushroom pickers return from a successful quiet hunt in the undergrowth of young beeches or oaks. Usually, ripe mushrooms are found from the last days of July until the beginning of December.
Comment! Mushrooms draw the necessary nutrients from the root system of plants and supply the shoots with additional moisture. There is evidence that mycorrhiza protects trees from late blight.
Health benefits, traditional medicine recipes
Truffles are not only tasty, but also healthy. First of all, it is a powerful aphrodisiac that affects both men and women. The special composition of the mushroom prevents aging if you regularly add the product to the menu.
Truffles are especially useful for older people. In this case, they are even able to prevent cancer. The product also improves the absorption of iron and calcium. If you eat truffles regularly, they reduce the risk of heart and vascular diseases. You can prepare effective medicines from mushrooms yourself.
Compress for pain in joints and muscles
For this remedy, use any fresh edible mushroom:
- Clean the fruit with a brush to remove all excess.
- Remove the outer skin with a sharp blade.
- Cut the rest into thin slices.
- Lightly mash the pieces.
The resulting mass is laid out on the problem area, covered with gauze and left in this form for half an hour.
Decoction for general weakness of the body
To prepare such a decoction, take 30-40 g of truffle. You will also need 1 liter of water.
Need to:
- Clean the mushroom of all excess.
- Cut the product into slices and add water.
- The broth is cooked over low heat under the lid for half an hour.
The resulting product is filtered and consumed in ½ tbsp. per day. It also helps with sexual impotence and toxicosis.
Truffle mushroom is an expensive delicacy. What it looks like, where it grows, what taste it has, its numerous photos and descriptions will tell you. You can find and collect such mushrooms yourself in different regions of Russia. Truffles mainly grow in places with warm climates.
How to find truffles in Crimea
The Russian summer species black, or Crimean, prefers to grow on soils with a high lime content. It is found at a depth of 3 to 14-16 cm. Although sometimes the depth reaches 25-29 cm. It is believed that on the Crimean Peninsula these mushrooms cannot be found in the central steppe or mountain region, but only on the coast and in the foothills. Particularly successful is the search for truffles in the Kirov region, as well as in the famous Baydar Valley in the vicinity of Sevastopol.
Attention! The peculiarity of the Crimean species is that it grows in young pine forests under a soft and thick layer of coniferous litter.
Benefits of mushrooms
It has long been proven that truffles can be eaten by humans. We can prepare many different dishes from mushrooms. They can be stewed or added to sauce. Can be served as a separate dish. These mushrooms can be harvested for the winter. They are canned or frozen.
Truffle mushroom is rich in vitamins and various microelements. The composition contains vitamins such as B, PP, C. They increase the level of fiber and have a positive effect on a person’s emotional state.
Truffles can be used to make a juice that can be used to treat eye diseases.
There are no contraindications to consuming the mushroom. If only individual intolerance to the product. And so, the main thing is that the mushroom is fresh and processed, then you can eat it without fear of health.
Is it possible to eat Crimean truffles?
The Crimean edible truffle, or Russian black, looks a little like the famous Périgord black, shown in the photo:
Both species have fruiting bodies of the same dark color with pyramidal tubercles. But the difference begins after the mushroom is cut: the marble pattern is completely different. Winter French truffles have brown, even black-purple flesh. The veins are black and white, with a red border. The summer Crimean species is distinguished by yellowish-brown flesh with white veins. Mushrooms also have different microscopic parameters.
Winter black truffle
The Crimean truffle is edible, but does not have the same smell as the Western European type. The taste correlates with a nutty note. Professionals believe that the consistency of Crimean mushrooms is coarser, and the smell is significantly inferior in composition to their distant French relative.
Rumor has it that initially Crimean truffles were highly valued, but after restaurateurs learned about their true taste, the price dropped somewhat. Some fashionable chefs believe that the Crimean look is only suitable as a decoration on dishes.
In summer, underground mushrooms are small
Delicious combination
An excellent companion for truffles would be pasta, risotto, game, fish, seafood, eggs and vegetables. They even add it to desserts.
“This is a very interesting product,” notes Andrey Savenkov, head chef of the Doctor Whiskey restaurant. “But truffle is afraid of high temperatures; it cannot be heated above 80°C, otherwise it will lose its aroma very quickly. Our guests love sous vide venison with Crimean truffle. By the way, it was this dish that brought the restaurant the Palm Branch award. In order for the delicious mushroom to fully open, we melted the farmer's butter, brought the temperature to 74°C and immersed two kilograms of truffles in it, leaving it overnight with the lid closed. All the truffle smell went into the oil. And we use it for frying venison to give the already tasty meat a subtle aroma of the Crimean truffle.
Rules for collection and use
Although underground mushrooms are collected on the Crimean peninsula, such actions may well be classified as illegal, since the species is included in protected natural objects and is included in the list of those protected in the Red Book of Russia and Crimea. Mushroom pickers coordinate their actions with the relevant structures; it is forbidden to collect fruiting bodies in protected areas.
A new business is being popularized - growing mushroom delicacies by planting bushes and trees with ready-made truffle mycorrhiza on the roots. In such places, signs of ripening fruiting bodies:
- the soil is ashy;
- midge swarming in one place low above the ground;
- potholes in the ground made by animals.
The mushroom delicacy retains its properties fresh, just as it is consumed:
- fruiting bodies are cut with a slicer directly into a plate near the dining table;
- The delicacy is added to dishes prepared from products with an inexpressive odor.
Truffle hunting in Crimean style: where is the valuable mushroom buried?
Twelve Lagotto-Romagnolo dogs from all over Russia came to the village of Kizilovoe in the Baydar Valley for a festival and truffle-hunting competition. This is how the season of this delicacy opened in Crimea. We asked local chefs what dishes they add this valuable mushroom to.
Italian and French truffles are better known in the world, but before the revolution these mushrooms were also hunted in Russia. During the Soviet years, this noble activity was banned as bourgeois, but in recent years, enthusiasts have been reviving forgotten traditions.
In Crimea, truffles are found in young oak and beech undergrowth. It hides under the foliage, sometimes buries ten to fifteen centimeters into the ground. You either need to dig it or grow it yourself.
Characteristic
Truffles are marsupial fungi with tuberous fruiting bodies located underground. Sometimes, however, these mushrooms can be seen superficially, for example, after a heavy rainfall, if the soil is washed away by a stream of water.
The shape of the truffle's fruiting body is almost round, the sizes range from small to quite solid, like large potatoes. The outside of the fruit body is covered with a leathery layer called peridium.
The peridium can be smooth or covered with warty-like growths; sometimes the peridium cracks. In cross-section, the truffle fruit body resembles marble with a pattern of alternating light and dark stripes.
These mushrooms have a delicious taste and special aroma. Experts say that the mushroom taste of truffles is combined with the taste of walnuts. The taste and aroma differ somewhat among the varieties of these mushrooms.
Tips for mushroom pickers
It is not enough to know where the truffle grows; it is more important to have information on how to look for it.
You need to look for it at the roots of deciduous trees, mainly oak or (in the south) hornbeam. Truffles do not grow alone, so when you find a mushroom, you need to carefully inspect the surrounding area. Above the truffles there is sometimes soil dug up by animals, a noticeable lumpy surface, and small midges hovering.
But the best thing to do is to take a specially trained animal as an assistant - a dog or a pig. Preference should be given to the dog, because, easily navigating by smell, it will not show a desire to eat the found trophy. A dog trained to search for truffles can be purchased, although it is expensive. But it will be much easier to find truffles.
Search methods
To find a marsupial mushroom in a natural circle, you need to know the following:
- they live at the roots (mostly oak trees);
- in search areas the soil should be moist;
- in the area where the delicacy grows, there is limp vegetation;
- It is advisable to know marsupials “by sight”, to first look at a photo, or better yet, in their natural form;
- we can arm ourselves for the search by our smaller brothers, trained for this task. For such tasks, dogs or pigs are specially trained - they can show the location of the truffles;
- the plant can rarely appear on the surface of the soil; you should be attentive to the mounds and dig them out.
Truffle often grows in families . If you find one individual, you need to look closely for the rest of the “relatives”. You also need to know that there is a real truffle and a false one. You should look for fruits near trees with large roots. The area where mushrooms are located can also be determined by another sign - at sunset on a sunny day, yellowish midges hover in a swarm over the location of the truffles, attracted by the smell of the pulp of this underground plant.
Did you know? A dog trained to search for truffles can cost more than 5,000 euros.
If you have chosen a pig as your hunting assistant, you must put a muzzle on it. Since these animals love to eat the famous delicacy. The fragrance of truffles can be clearly heard at night, so it is more effective to organize the search in the evening.
What's the price?
The shelf life of fresh white truffle is short, it does not exceed 5-7 days . Therefore, most proposals are limited to mushrooms preserved in olive oil. There are such offers on the Internet:
- 100 grams of preserved white truffles in the form of cream costs 24,600 rubles .
- Cream of porcini mushrooms and truffle is offered for 13,600 rubles 80 gram jar .
- Truffle preserved in oil costs 3,600 rubles per 25 grams .
Offers for the sale of fresh mushrooms are much less common. The range of prices from mushroom pickers may surprise you:
- Mushrooms collected in the forest with a tuber weight of 30-80 grams are sold for 49 rubles per gram .
- Smaller tubers are offered at 30 rubles per gram .
- Truffles found in the Crimean foothills are put up for sale at 70 rubles per gram .
Home grown truffle
For a successful start, it is necessary that 3 factors coincide:
- trees;
- weather;
- correct soil.
A humid and warm climate is ideal, and the soil should be soft and rich in minerals. Today, entire groves are grown from oak acorns, under which the fruits of the fungus were found. Or an alternative is to infect the roots of a tree seedling with prepared mushroom mycelium. Growing a truffle requires a lot of time and financial investment.
Important! Before planting, seedlings should not be fertilized - this may adversely affect the development of spores.
Because of this, the amount paid for a truffle grown with one’s own hands differs little from the price of a naturally grown mushroom. But the taste qualities of an artificial delicacy may differ not for the better.
If you decide to take a chance and grow truffle mushroom yourself, you need to consider:
- Microclimate . It should be stable both in the warm season and in winter. The plant does not like temperature changes.
- Trees . Their rhizomes must be infected with fungal spores. The price of an already “infected” seedling is 10–15 dollars.
- Place . There should be no scorching sun, wind, or animals in the area where planting is planned.
- Soil . Must be alkaline. You can add lime.
- Landing . The optimal time is spring, when the weather has stabilized. It is necessary to plant trees when the soil is loosened and processed.
- Feeding . It is necessary to use ready-made fertilizers.
- Cover the plant with greenhouse film.
In addition, there should be no bushes, much less other mushrooms, near the planting. We must be vigilant so that no one tramples this piece of land. The first harvests can be expected 5–7 years after planting the seedlings. The duration of fruiting is approximately 25–30 years.
You will be interested in learning how to grow oyster mushrooms and champignons.
Truffle is a mysterious plant; to this day it is not completely clear how exactly it grows. The number of truffle species existing on Earth is also not truly known. But it’s clear that this is the most exquisite mushroom in all aspects.
