Truffles in the Pacific Northwest

 Link to Wine & Dine & Truffling Time Tour, Oregon     Read or download  my new article "Truffles of the Pacific Northwest"       


Photo Report:

Truffle Hunt with Animal & August, the Lagotto Truffle Dog

in search of Oregon Black truffle in Western Washington Douglas fir forests, May 16, 2013.

Animal and his Lagotto Romagnolo August at work digging for Oregon Black truffles. Lagottos are a special dog breed from Romagnolo region in Italy that have been used as truffle dogs for centuries. Key thing in training a dog for truffle search is to start early with them.

 

While Animal only gets his hands dirty August is covered in soil. However, the truffles score is absolutely worth it and it is great fun on top.

 

August is only a year old and not always is he ready to let go of the freshly scored truffle. He just loves them too much. But he also loves the bacon junks Animal feeds him after every truffle score.

 

"Oregon Black Truffle" can be quite deep underground. But sometimes August just gets carried away digging. “Black Truffle” alone is often used for the
European black Périgord truffle (Tuber melanosporum), the second-most valuable truffle species, after Italy’s "White truffle" (Tuber magnatum).

 

 Black Truffle and Banana Slug Ariolimax columbianus

We disturbed this banana Slug (Ariolimax columbianus, correct me if I am wrong) that was feeding on a mature Black Truffle. Truffles attract all kinds of creature. They ooze a strong aroma when their spores a mature so that they will be located underground or in the duff-layer by animals which will eat the truffle and thus disperse their spores. Fruiting underground makes them much less perceptible to the uncertainties of weather. Great strategy!

Leucangium carthusianum Oregon Black truffle

  Oregon Black truffle (Leucangium carthusianum), also sometimes known as Carthusian truffle, named for the order of the Carthusians. Its fruity pineapple aroma offers interesting food options. The American Truffling webpage equates its "aroma to a strange mix of pineapple, port wine, mushrooms, rich soil, and chocolate. Looking like irregular lumps of coal, with white-veined flesh, the Oregon black truffle has a texture of moist Parmesan and ground almonds". James 'Animal' Novak suggested to use Oregon blacks in a Caesar Salad sauce, substituting the anchovies with crunched truffles, very delicious! Photo: Mason County, Western Washington, Feb. 1st, 2011

 

 

August and Animal sniffing the fruity Oregon Black Truffle after the succesful hunt.

Read or download  my new article "Truffles of the Pacific Northwest" published in Fungi Magazine 2013 vol: 6.4: 16-19. 

 

Truffle Foray

Sunday Feb.18, 2019 with Animal & August near Shelton WA

We will meet at 10 am in the Seattle area and drive for ca 2 hours to our truffle forest. Car pooling welcome!

Animal and August will assist us finding Oregon white & black truffles in a Douglas fir forest.

Tasty snacks with truffles & warm tea served after the truffle hunt. Participation limited to 8 people

Prize per person: $145

Please also send me an email using the contact page to register successfully.

Oregon Blacks collected that day, all located by August, the Lagotto. Not pictured are the truffles snails and voles had started to eat and the truffles August gulped excitedly down in the process.

 

Check out James 'Animal' Nowak's webpages at  Terra Fleurs!

Tuber gibbosum Oregon white truffle

The delicious Oregon white truffle (Tuber gibbosum) adds a rich truffly aroma to simple dishes of pasta or more complex dishes. It has an aroma reminiscent of garlic, cheese and other difficult to describe hints. It matures from late January into June. Another Oregon White truffle (Tuber oregonense) fruits earlier from October through February. Found in Mason County, Western Washington, Feb. 1st, 2011 

 

Link to my Wine & Dine & Truffling Time Tour Oregon

 

First uploaded August 1st, 2013

Last update: 2/2/2018

Last edited on Tue, December 10, 2019, 10:59 pm