Truffle and False Truffle – Identification | Walter Reeves: The Georgia Gardener (2024)

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Truffle and False Truffle – Identification | Walter Reeves: The Georgia Gardener? ›

True truffles usually have channeled, marbled or hollow interiors and do not have an internal column. ” The fact that when cut, this specimen had a white pulp, rather than a marbled interior or a column also shows that it is a false truffle. False truffles are terribly under-studied and many are un-named.”

Whereas the interior of the true truffle is marbled and solid, the interior of the false truffle is mostly not marbled like the true truffle, but instead most have a pulp-like interior. Some species have a black-and-white appearance or a brown color; other species have a white interior.

So, it's important to know how to identify edible truffles before you eat them. Edible truffles typically have a smooth, brown exterior. If the truffle has any bumps or ridges on its surface, it is probably not edible. Truffles that are white or cream-colored on the inside are also not edible.

The hyphae of truffles latched onto the roots of trees to create symbiotic relationships called mycorrhizae. The truffle provides the tree with extra water and nutrient absorption, and the tree gives the truffle sugar in return.

Truffles, on the other hand, lack both a stem and a cap; instead, they look like porous black or white potatoes. They are typically the size of a marble or golf ball. Truffle growth only occurs underground as they attach themselves to the roots of trees.

THE FALSE TRUFFLES

They are sometimes true truffles, but most of the time are false truffles, from a gastronomic point of view and and accepted as true truffles only those belonging to the genus Tuber. Even some of these false truffles can be toxic. Never eat any fungus unless you are absolutely sure of its identity!

False truffles (also known as false puffballs) differ from true truffles in being basidiomycetes rather than ascomycetes. The smell of the false truffle after cutting was legendary. Think Eau de Dead Roo with a hint of turpentine!

Truffles prefer oaks, beech, hazels or poplars, and like sun and a moist, alkaline soil. You will have to be patient though – it takes 5-8 years for them to start fruiting. Although truffles are associated with France and Italy (Piedmont), there are many different varieties that grow all over the world.

A truffle is, in the simplest terms, a fungus or mushroom of the genus Tuber. It grows underground, typically near or right beneath the roots of trees, particularly oak, beech, birch, poplars and pine trees.

When northern flying squirrels dig up and devour the tasty truffles, the fungal spores pass through their digestive system unharmed. Hours later they are deposited in a different part of the forest where they will germinate and form new fungal colonies together with other trees.

What looks like a truffle but grows above ground? ›

Below is another plant gall that was confused with a truffle. This one was found growing in a hedge above ground. It is a Crown gall.

While there are different varieties of truffles, only some are considered edible for humans. Many wild, non-commercial varieties are toxic. Truffles can be found in most countries, but they are most common in France and Italy. The most common type of truffle is the alba or white truffle.

White truffles grow most famously in Northern Italy and look somewhat like potatoes with a light-brown exterior and ivory or tan interior. Black truffles have a pebbled brown-black skin and tan or brown interior and are most associated with France, particularly the Périgord region.

If you want to make sure you're buying and eating real truffles, try the smell test. If they don't have that strong, unmistakable truffle smell, they might not be real. You can also check the texture, which should be firm, with a bumpy exterior, not smooth or spongy.

If the truffle you are testing has a hint of ammonia and also has a rubbery texture, it has definitely gone bad: abandon it without regret and turn your attention to a more deserving product.

While some have successfully found them, many have actually found “truffle look-alikes”, usually, other types of fungi that have a passing resemblance to truffles. As well as fungi, these look-alikes may be plant galls or tubers. These truffle look-alikes should not be eaten as many will cause stomach upsets.

Rhizopogon occidentalis is an ectomycorrhizal fungus in the family Rhizopogonaceae of the Basidiomycota. It occurs most commonly in western North America in association with two-needle and three-needle pine hosts. They are false truffles with fruiting bodies that are yellow on the surface and pale yellow inside.