The science behind growing truffles in America

The magic behind rich, earthy truffles lies in the relationship between a tree’s roots and the fungi tuber melanosporum, commonly known as the black truffle.

Tree roots provide a home and nutrients for truffle spores, while truffles provide nutrients for the tree. But, unlike other edible fungi such as portobello or porcini mushrooms, the fruit of the truffle spores remains below the soil.

“We can't grow it in culture in the lab, like you can button mushrooms,” said Inga Meadows, a plant pathologist with North Carolina State University. “It makes it hard to know what's going on underneath that soil.”

Today, research continues on best practices in American truffle growing. Projects spearheaded by the truffle growers association and universities are done in tandem with the growers themselves.

“There is a demand for this type of truffle, and we need to be able to get it so that it is something that is replicable,” said Pat Martin, who helped start Virginia Truffles with her husband. “It's a finicky truffle, it's not easy to cultivate, and we need to try and streamline it and understand how the inner workings go to make it come up faster than in the past.”

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