– Copyright ICEX/Juan Manuel Sanz
Spain is rich in black truffles. Most of the production can be found in the northeastern Girona forest and central Teruel. Not only is there an abundance of these aromatic treasures to be found in the country, but Spain is also the world’s biggest producer of Tuber melanosporum (black winter truffles).
Known as black gold or black diamonds, Tuber melanosporum are sought-after by chefs worldwide. They also grow in France and Italy but Spain is the world’s leading black truffles producer.
Spain also grows the black summer truffle, Tuber aestivum. Though traditionally grown and harvested in the wild, truffles can be farmed too, however, it’s hardly a straightforward process.
So why is Spanish soil so good at growing these elusive fungi?
What are black truffles?
Truffles are subterranean fungi that grow near the roots of certain types of trees, such as oak, holm oak and hazelnut. While the truffles themselves do not touch the roots of the trees, they are connected to them via a huge network of mycelium (a root-like web of fungus strands), which stretch for kilometres under the soil. The trees and the truffles have a symbiotic relationship, sharing nutrients and water.
Truffles are the fruit of this mycelium network and can be found around 20 centimetres deep underground. This is why dogs with a good sense of smell are used to sniff them out and extract them from the earth.
Black and white truffles have been prized for their culinary value for thousands of years. While there are many species of truffle, not all of them are edible and some are more prized than others.
Why are black truffles so special?
“Truffles are flavour enhancers like no other, they have brought to the world of cooking endless new flavours that otherwise would have never existed,” says Sofia Agustin from Manjares de la Tierra, a company in Sarrión, Teruel.
“Truffles have a flavour so particular that it cannot be compared to anything else. They can have over 48 distinct nuances, such as butter, caramel, wood, wet soil, hay and ground coffee,” she continues.
The black winter truffle season in Sarrión is from November to April. Chefs admire the unique, earthy aroma of the black winter truffle which is more subtle than the flavour found in white truffles. Tuber melanosporum can be cooked into sauces as well as eaten raw.
Meanwhile, and as the name suggests, black summer truffles can be found from May to September. With a more delicate aroma than their winter sibling, they are less rare, making them an ideal truffle for beginners. They can be found growing in the wild in the Spanish regions of Catalonia and Guadalajara.
Where do black truffles grow in Spain?
The north-eastern region of Aragon is the heartland of Spain’s black winter truffle market. Around 60 per cent of the country’s black truffles are grown here. Production is split between the provinces of Teruel, Huesca and Zaragoza, with the majority of truffles farmed in the rugged, high-altitude province of Teruel.
Farming black truffles isn’t as easy as farming other fungi though.
“From the first inoculated trees planted until the first grown truffles, farmers have to overcome up to 10 years of no benefit or harvest,” says Agustin.
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