Romania, the truffle basket of Europe?

The summer or burgundy truffle (Tuber aestivum/uncinatum) is a species with a huge market and a wide geographic spread. Wild finds of this species have been recorded from areas as diverse as Northern Africa to Russia. With a flavour that varies
through the season, early summer varieties are often mildly flavoured and quite clean on the palate, while those harvested from late summer onwards can be really quite intense - in a similar vein to the Perigord truffle (Tuber melanosporum).
It is not surprising that this species has a large following and a robust international market, but what may surprise many readers is the fact that a large amount of these truffles now come from Eastern Europe.
Although the media often portray France, Italy and Spain to be home to this species, the UK once had a large and thriving market place and these days a
large amount of the world’s supply come from ancient woodland in countries such as Romania. Romania has large tracts of native woodland that become heavy with
truffle collectors from across Europe, hunting these fertile grounds. Indeed, Transylvania produces some of the best summer truffles on the market. These
native truffle beds are showing signs of struggling from a number of influences, from over-harvesting to both illegal and legal logging. Truffle cultivation will continue to play a large role in keeping this species available.

For those interested in truffle cultivation, and specifically how to get involved in Romania please
get in contact: Shop@PlantationSystems.com
or 0845 519 5808