1. Introduction
truffle, Matsutake and Chinese Caterpillar Fungus are the most famous wild mushrooms in the world. truffle is one of the most expensive fungi. In Europe and America, it is regarded as Black Diamond. It tastes fragrant and fills with rich nutrition such as amino acid, carbohydrate, vitamin, mineral substance, as well as has anti-cancer function, i.e. inhibitory action against cancer cell.
Truffle together with Morel, Sarcodon aspratus and Chanterelle is regarded as four world famous fungi, and it is called as “the First International Fungus”. It lives in the primitive forests of Yunnan (China) and Europe originally, hiding in the soil which is 1-17m deep. It grows about 20 years while sending out fragrance, so people always use the well-trained fungus-dogs to find its position. It is so rare that each kilogram costs 750 dollars.
The diameter is between 2 and 4.5cm or between 1.5 and 3cm, the bigger one is about 140 grams. It is pink brown, deep brown, coffee color or sepia, with irregular sphere or ellipse. The surface breaks out and is separated by net stripes. Some breaking-outs are obtuse, and some are sharp about 0.2-2mm. The inner is gray brown, purple brown or pink brown, with gray white branching-network.
It lives in the soil near the roots of Yunnan pine, Chinese pinus montana, hemp oak.
The fresh Truffle tastes fragrant and sweet.