Canine Companions Uncover Two Exciting New Truffle Varieties!

Scholars, citizen scientists, along with their “truffle dogs,” have identified two new species of truffle.

Tuber canirevelatum, which translates to the “dog-discovered” truffle, was given its name to honor truffle dogs and Monza, the canine who uncovered it alongside her trainer Lois Martin.

The second species, Tuber cumberlandense, was named for the Cumberland Plateau where it was located by Margaret Townsend and her truffle dog, Luca.

T. canirevelatumdid not resemble or emit a scent akin to anything known to exist in North America; thus, curious about its identity, Martin dispatched it to the laboratory of Gregory Bonito, associate professor within the plant, soil, and microbial sciences department at Michigan State University College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Bonito, along with his undergraduate research student, Alassane Sow, the leading author of the study, utilized DNA analyses to classify the two truffles and ascertain their position in the evolutionary tree.

“Receiving these samples was thrilling, particularly since they bore a striking resemblance to the renowned edible European truffles Tuber macrosporumand [and] Tuber aestivum,” Sow remarks.

“We anticipate that by documenting both species, there will be heightened interest in cultivating North American truffles. Our analyses indicate that each contains aromatic compounds found in some of the most lucrative truffle species.”

Due to their scarcity, truffles are costly and highly sought-after within the culinary realm. As Bonito notes, both of these new truffle species possess economic potential. “In global markets, fresh truffles can fetch hundreds and thousands of dollars per kilogram,” Bonito adds.

Even though T. cumberlandense has been harvested in truffle orchards and natural woods and has been marketed under different names, analysis revealed it to be a distinct and previously unnamed species native to North America, according to Bonito.

Currently, there are initiatives taking place in Kentucky to cultivate this indigenous truffle by the distillery Maker’s Mark.

“This particular species thrives in a mutualistic relationship with their host, white oaks, growing from their roots while supplying nutrients to the trees,” Bonito explains. “Maker’s Mark aims to cultivate T. cumberlandense as they store their whiskey in white oak barrels. They will be reforesting their Kentucky land with white oaks intended for the barrels and hope to one day also harvest truffles; perhaps they will even produce truffle-infused whiskey.”

Traditionally, the focus has been on cultivating and marketing European truffle species, but there is a rising interest in cultivating, wild-harvesting, and trading species of truffles indigenous to North America.

Bonito states that an increasing number of individuals are attempting to cultivate truffles, leading to a greater need for truffle dogs to locate these fungal fruits, which grow underground.

“If you have $20,000 worth of truffles maturing underground, it’s essential to locate them before they spoil, hence the importance of the dogs,” Bonito emphasizes.

Bonito, along with Matthew Smith from the plant pathology department at the University of Florida, has been surveying and identifying native North American truffles since before 2010. Bonito and Smith received NSF funding in 2020 to explore the evolution of truffles, morels, and their kin known as Pezizales, which facilitated this research.

Benjamin Lemmond, a member of the Smith lab in Florida, remarks, “Truffles are among the most enigmatic and captivating fungi on the planet. They exist their lives beneath the surface, unseen, yet people globally are eager to discover them and appreciate their distinct culinary attributes. This study indicates that there are still undiscovered truffles practically under our noses, so to speak, and that without the assistance of dogs (and their incredible olfactory abilities) we might never unearth them.”

In addition to naming and characterizing these new species, Bonito states that every truffle species emits a unique scent, which forms the foundation for the culinary prospects of truffles and subsequently, their value.

Bonito and Sow collaborated with MSU’s Randy Beaudry, a professor in the horticulture department, to qualify and analyze the volatiles using gas chromatography. Volatiles are the chemical components responsible for a truffle’s fragrance.

“This instrument enabled us to assess the volatile organic compounds emitted by a truffle,” Sow mentions. “We discovered that T. canirevelatum was abundant in compounds such as dimethyl sulfide and methyl 1-propenyl sulfide, which contribute to the truffle’s savory garlic scent. In T. cumberlandense, we identified the compounds dimethyl sulfide (found in the Périgord black truffle and the Piedmont white truffle) and 2,4-dithiapentane (frequently used in crafting synthetic truffle products).”

“Our research underscores the significance of employing trained truffle dogs in tuber research and truffle cultivation,” Bonito asserts.

“We suspect that many native tuber species are yet to be discovered and described. Achieving this goal will be enhanced through ongoing collaboration among mycologists—scientists who investigate fungi—and the public, alongside trained truffle dogs.”

Source: Michigan State University