Tuber borchii
Description
Tuber borchii, Tuber dryophilum, Tuber maculatum, Tuber puberulum are a white truffles group, with reticulate-alveolate spores, difficult to tell apart. They have similar macroscopic and microscopic characteristics and sometimes they show a range of intermediate forms between several of these species. It is therefore not always possible to differentiate one species from another.
Tuber borchii is an edible truffle, gastronomically appreciated when young. It was first cultivated in Italy in 1990.
The flesh, on the other hand, is light tending to buff-colored up to brown, with a few large white veins. These veins are whitish when it is young and more reddish as it ripens. Its shape tends to be rounded if the truffle has grown in sandy areas, sometimes irregular, with a bumpy surface. The average size of this truffle is rather small, like hazelnut or slightly larger, but it can be as large as a hen’s egg.
Common names: White Spring Truffle, Whitish Truffle, Bianchetto Truffle.
Mushroom Identification
Ascomata
Hypogeous, subglobose or irregular in form and gibbous, 2-3 (7) cm in size, smooth, pubescent at first, glabrous at maturity, initially whitish, becoming brown ochre, often with reddish spots
Gleba
Firm, solid, whitish at first, then beige, reddish-brown at maturity, marbled with white, wide, anastomosing veins which arise from a various points on the periphery.
Odor
Tuber-like, garlicky, pleasant at first, strong and unpleasant with age.
Taste
Strong, pleasant at first, garlicky.
Habitat
Tuber borchii truffle is tolerant of a wide variety of soils but prefers well-drained, sandy calcareous soils. We can find these truffles in clay and sandy soils, in association with conifers or broad-leaved trees, in calcareous soils and acid soils. They ripen from January to late April.
Cultivation Tips
It is harvested from winter to spring (from mid-January to the end of April in Italy), unlike Tuber magnatum or Tuber melanosporum, there are several reasons for its cultivation: it fruits early in new plantations (as early as 4 years in pine), is adaptable to different ecological niches, is not extremely specific to host plants, and lastly, it is very competitive with other ectomycorrhizal fungi (particularly in young plantations).
Mycorrhiza Biotech of Gibsonville, North Carolina has been developing methods for commercial production of bianchetto truffles in North Carolina. Their CEO, Nancy Rosborough, reports 2021 harvests from their plots are outstanding, producing as much as an estimated 200 pounds.
Tuber borchii Storage
For optimal storage of your fresh Truffles, please: Do not remove the soil from the truffles – Wrap individual truffles in a clean absorbent paper towel – Place the paper-wrapped truffles inside a closed jar in the fridge (temperature +2°C/6°C) – Change the paper towel every day – Just before eating them, they must be washed with water and brushed under the tap. Dry well with a paper towel or kitchen cloth.
Cooking Notes
Although its accessible price, it can turn the simplest of dishes into something truly special thanks to its characteristic aroma, which can even transform homely salads or broths into something exquisite. Its most classical use is together with oil or butter cream with truffle, cut into slices, slightly heated with a dash of Parmesan cheese excellent on toasted bread, pasta, meat, fish and salads.
Photo sources:
Photo 1 - Author: nicolo_oppicelli (CC BY-NC 4.0)
