What Are Truffles? 1/8

WHAT ARE TRUFFLES? I. Answer these questions: a) What kind of profitable business would you think of setting up? b) What do you know about cultivating truffles? II. Skim quickly through the text and answer these questions: a) What is the main topic of the text? b) What’s the branch of tourism that has evolved from cultivating truffles? c) Why do you think truffles are so expensive? Do you know any other food products as expensive as truffles? III. Read the text more closely and do the exercises that follow:

What Are Truffles? Truffles are edible mushrooms that have fascinated people for thousands of years. Their attraction is the tantalising taste and aroma, which once experienced, can never be forgotten. Magical powers and virtues have even been attributed to them, and they have been collected since ancient times. Growing underground, they are difficult to find and very expensive as a result. The high retail prices can top $7.000 per kg for several species of this fungus, which is a testimony of its qualities and its limited availability. Some of the commercially important truffle species are:

The Périgord Black truffle

Tuber melanosporum The white Italian truffle

Tuber magnatum

The Burgundy truffle Tuber uncinatum

The summer truffle Tuber aestivum

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truffle Among them, the highest priced through the course of time, and which has also developed a magic and a value to a point where it is referred to as “black diamond”, is Tuber melanosporum.

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In the last couple of decades, homegrown truffles have emerged from agricultural regions traditionally known for their tobacco and wine by growers hoping their supply will make more profit. You can grow truffles, either on your own or by buying a share of a truffle grove. But, they require specific growing conditions; it takes years to produce and look like real truffles and at the same time they involve a lot of risks. Truffles may need trained dogs or pigs to be found and picked. Therefore, growing them implies “particular education”. The important thing is not to feel discouraged in the process. In 2008/9, the average price in European markets, per kilo, was:

Black Truffle £900 Burgundy Truffle £290, White Truffle £2800

Why is it so difficult to grow truffles? Why have some plantations around the world failed? We must first consider that there is no single science to cultivate truffles. This is not a simple crop, and the development of these fungi occurs underground, so we’re not really seeing what is happening. The truffle is a type of fungus that lives closely associated to the roots of its host trees (oaks, hazelnut trees, etc) which will then transfer the nutrients while the fungus helps to capture soil minerals and water. There are plantations that produce very little and some that produce nothing. What is the problem? Here are some possible causes: a) The quality of the inoculated trees produced in nurseries: Because

this fungus is associated to its host tree and this is a complex biological relationship, before thinking of cultivating truffles we must ensure that the plants we use have a high degree of mycorrhization,. This delicate connection can easily fail later, due to several factors.

Image1. Woodland truffle site http://www.plantationsystems.com/woodland-truffle-site

b) A second important aspect is the proper choice of land and climate. You need to do a lot of research and be satisfied with your findings before you establish the location for the crop.

Growing requirements for Tuber uncinatum in Romania The growing requirements for Tuber uncinatum are quite specific; nevertheless they can be found in a number of locations in Romania. The surrounding area of Cristuru-Secuiesc has been identified as such a territory, where Transylvanian mycologists identified 38 different indigenous underground mushroom species over a period of 30 years. Soil testing results undertaken at several sites in this region have indicated that ideal conditions exist for truffle cultivation. For example, The Truffoir Ltd. is the owner of 5 hectares of land in the rural area of Vânãtori where preparation for truffle cultivation started in spring 2004. The truffle industry could be a new way of future agricultural investments in Romania alternating the noncompetitive products. Several farmers as well as businessmen interviewed in locations identified as suitable for growing truffles, expressed major interest in participating in this industry. There are endless possibilities to expand this business. Truffle sauces, truffle oil or truffle as such are just few of the products that can be prepared in special inland facilities and sold at international markets. More than that, a new branch of tourism has developed as a result of the increasing popularity of the truffle and this is truffitourism.

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Image 2. - http://www.trufflesaustralis.com.au/pages/about-truffles/truffles-life-cycle.php

Truffitourism in Transylvania The mysterious underground treasure-hunt in the shady forests of Transylvania is no longer the privilege of local truffle hunters, as Truffoir Ltd. is proudly presenting a unique venture, the Transylvanian Truffle Hunting project. As truffles are constantly valued for high prices on the international market, truffle hunting became one of the most secretive jobs in human history, where hunters are silent about both the truffle growing places and the methods they are using to acquire these exceptional mushrooms. The Transylvanian Truffle Hunt project will enable all interested parties to receive a one day insight on the full process of truffle hunting, enhanced with a professional presentation about the biological and ecological life of the truffle, as well as presenting the black diamond in its most worthy place, the kitchen, allowing tourists to sample a true truffle dish at the end of the day.

Image 3. - http://travelbuzau.com/oferte-turistice/trufiturism-

vanatoare-de-trufe Note: See the sources for these materials at the end of the unit.

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1. Answer the following questions : a) What are truffles? b) What are the advantages of cultivating truffles mentioned in the text? c) Which is the most expensive truffle? d) What are truffles used for?

i. Oil? ii. Sauces?

iii. Magical powers? e) What are the risks involved in the cultivation of truffles? f) What are the growing requirements of truffles? g) Do you know anyone growing truffles in your area? If not, would it be possible to grow truffles in your area? 2. Choose the correct answer(s):

a) Truffles are attractive because of their i. aroma

ii. appearance iii. taste

b) Truffle hunting seems to be

i. very hard ii. a secretive job iii. an adventure

c) The black diamond is

i. a truffle ii. a dish iii. a jewel

d) Truffle host trees can be

i. oaks ii. plum trees iii. hazelnut trees

What Are Truffles? 5/8

3. Look at image 2 and answer the following. a) When are truffles ripe? b) Name the months when truffles are in the process of growing. c) What happens in February?

4. Choose the correct defining word in the following sentences:

a) To implant microorganisms into trees means to inoculate/ to cultivate them. b) A detailed, precise description of a place or region is its topography/ geomorphology c) Property or another possession acquired for future financial return or benefit represents a project/ an

investment d) A substance that provides nourishment for growth or metabolism is a nutrient / a host tree

5. Find in the text words close in meaning to the following:

i. Fungus ii. Cultivation

iii. Plantation iv. Requirements v. Soil

vi. To produce vii. To enhance

viii. To imply 6. Match a word from column A with a word from column B to form a correct collocation.

e.g. host tree A B

host shady truffle worthy

soil physical mineral

forest dish place

elements tree

conditions minerals

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7. a. Identify the words ending in -ed and the words ending in -ing written in italics in the text. Then read the following explanations. Participle forms ending in -ed in the text are used to describe somebody's feeling. Participle forms ending in -ing in the text are used to describe a thing, a person or a situation.

E.g. We all feel relaxed. It was an exciting tennis match.

b. In the sentences below, fill in the correct participles of the verbs in brackets.

1. People who keep complaining about their truffle growing difficulties are very __________ (annoy) to me.

2. The landowners were __________ (confuse) by Ms Brown’s presentation of how to inoculate tress. 3. Most of the recent information about how to start a truffle business is __________ (inspire). 4. The Coopers were very ________ (excite) to learn that their forests could be opened up for agricultural

purposes. 5. Mary was so __________ (fascinate) by the ways of cooking with truffles.

8. a. Look at the verbs in bold in the text. What tense are they? Look at the underlined verbs in the text. What tense are they?

Complete the following rules with present perfect simple or simple past: 1. We use……………..…………….…for an action that stopped recently, but has an influence on the present. 2. We use……………………….……for completed actions at a definite time in the past.

b. Put the verbs in brackets into the present perfect simple or simple past:

1. Last year I………(to invest) in truffitourism more than this year. 2. A few years ago in Europe, hunters …….(to use) only truffle hogs to find truffles but lately they

also………(to start) using truffle dogs. 3. Truffles, the most expensive mushrooms on earth…………(to be auctioned) recently for as much as

330.000Euros. 4. Prices for some species……..(to increase) by 1,000 per cent during the past year. 5. Truffles’ distinctive characteristics…….(to inspire) many respected chefs so far.

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- Meeting at a given location - Truffle picking presentation - Forest walking to pick truffles - Presentation of truffles that have been found - Return to the guest house where they are served the

picked truffles for dinner in various dishes - Warning to keep locations secret

IV. Work in pairs. Role play the following situation. A- You want to start a truffle-growing business in your area and need advice from a specialist. B- You are a specialist in truffle growing. Answer questions and give advice to your partner.

Consider the key elements on the right. Types of truffles that can grow there

Growing requirements Host trees

Soil properties Right time to plant and pick

Risks Trained animals for finding the truffles

V. A Truffitourism Package You are the owner of a guest house in Transylvania. You want to make a special offer to your guests. Design a flier (a single side of A4) for a truffitourism package programme for one day. Include the following with the necessary details:

What Are Truffles? 8/8

Source of materials 1. The text is adapted from the following sources: Ricardo Ramírez: http://trufaschile.wordpress.com/2011/09/07/why-is-it-so-difficult-to-cultivate-truffles-why-some-

plantations-around-the-world-have-failed/ (accessed April 22nd, 2012) www.truffoir.ro (accessed May 5th, 2012) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truffle (accessed May 5th, 2012) 2. For the photos credit is given to: Tim Terry (http://www.trufflesaustralis.com.au/pages/about-truffles/truffles-life-cycle.php) Dr. Paul Thomas (http://www.plantationsystems.com/woodland-truffle-site) Fekete András Oszkár (www.truffoir.ro) Monteoru Renaissance – Asociatia pentru dezvoltare regionala durabila in turism (http://travelbuzau.com/oferte-

turistice/trufiturism-vanatoare-de-trufe) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:2005mushroom_and_truffle.PNG ]