Canine Companions Uncover Two New Species of Truffles!

Due to their scarcity, truffles command high prices and are highly sought after in the culinary landscape. Bonito noted that both of these newly discovered truffle species have significant economic prospects. “In global markets, fresh truffles fetch hundreds to thousands of dollars per kilogram,” Bonito remarked.

Although T. cumberlandense has been gathered in truffle orchards and woodlands and has been marketed under various names, the study revealed that it is a unique and previously unclassified species native to North America, Bonito explained.

At present, initiatives are in progress in Kentucky to cultivate this indigenous truffle, spearheaded by the distiller Maker’s Mark.

“This specific species thrives in a symbiotic relationship with its partner, white oaks, flourishing from their roots and supplying nourishment to the trees,” Bonito explained. “Maker’s Mark is keen to cultivate T. cumberlandense as they age their whiskey in white oak barrels. They plan to reforest their land in Kentucky with white oaks for these barrels and aspire to harvest truffles one day as well; perhaps they will even create truffle-infused whiskey.”

Traditionally, the focus has been on cultivating and marketing European truffle varieties, yet there is a rising interest in farming, wild-harvesting, and selling species of truffles native to North America.

Bonito highlighted that more individuals are attempting to cultivate truffles, indicating an increased need for truffle dogs to locate these underground fungal fruits.

“If you have $20,000 worth of truffles growing unseen underground, you need to locate them before they spoil, which makes the dogs extremely valuable,” Bonito commented.

Alongside Matthew Smith from the Department of Plant Pathology at the University of Florida, Bonito has been surveying and documenting native North American truffles since before 2010. In 2020, Bonito and Smith received NSF funding to explore the evolution of truffles, morels, and their relatives known as Pezizales, further supporting this research.

Benjamin Lemmond, a participant in the Smith lab in Florida, stated, “Truffles are among the most intriguing and captivating fungi on the planet. They live their lives hidden underground, yet people globally are eager to find and enjoy their distinctive culinary attributes. This study illustrates that there are still undiscovered truffles right beneath our noses, and without the assistance of dogs (and their keen noses), we might never locate them.”

In addition to identifying and characterizing these new species, Bonito noted that each truffle species produces a distinct aroma, which forms the basis for their culinary potential and, consequently, their value.

Bonito and Sow collaborated with MSU’s Randy Beaudry, professor in the Department of Horticulture, to qualify and characterize the volatiles through gas chromatography. Volatiles are the chemical compounds responsible for a truffle’s aroma.

“This instrument enabled us to measure the volatile organic compounds emitted by a truffle,” Sow explained. “We discovered that T. canirevelatum was rich in compounds such as dimethyl sulfide and methyl 1-propenyl sulfide, which contribute to the savory garlic fragrance of the truffle. For T. cumberlandense, we identified the compounds dimethyl sulfide (present in the Périgord black truffle and the Piedmont white truffle) and 2,4-dithiapentane (frequently utilized in synthetic truffle products).”

“Our research emphasizes the significance of utilizing trained truffle dogs in tuber research and truffle cultivation,” Bonito affirmed. “We suspect numerous native tuber species remain to be discovered and characterized. This endeavor will be bolstered through ongoing collaboration between mycologists — scientists who focus on fungi — the public, and trained truffle dogs.”

Reference: Sow A, Lemmond B, Rennick B, et al. Tuber cumberlandense and T. canirevelatum, two new edible Tuber species from eastern North America discovered by truffle-hunting dogs. Mycologia. 2024;116(6):949-964. doi: 10.1080/00275514.2024.2407755

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