Can white truffles be planted artificially?

White truffle is similar to Pleurotus ostreatus, boletus and other wild plant fungi, mainly produced in Italy, was first discovered in 1950, and later became a delicacy at banquets, known as white diamonds, and the world output of white truffles is only 3 tons in good years. So many people are in demand for artificial cultivation of white truffles. Let's take a look at whether white truffles can be planted artificially.

Can white truffles be planted artificially?

White truffles cannot be planted artificially for the time being. Although experts from many countries around the world are studying how to plant white truffles artificially, the results are not satisfactory. According to all the current reports, the artificial cultivation of white truffle is difficult, and there are no successful cases at present. Although the current cultivation methods of using natural bacteria can not successfully cultivate white truffles, it does not mean that white truffles cannot be cultivated artificially. We look forward to the day when white truffles can be obtained by artificial cultivation, so that white truffles with such high nutritional value will not be so rare.

Growth habits of white truffle fungus

White truffle likes alkaline lime soil, which is loose and easily drained and breathable. It needs rain in summer, needs a little water but not too much, and is afraid of the heavy and long rain in spring. Because white truffle cannot carry out photosynthesis to produce carbohydrates for growth, it must live together with the roots of oaks and use the roots of oaks to absorb nutrients. Therefore, the growth range of white truffle is generally among the trees where the trees gather. Artificial cultivation of white truffles is even more difficult, such as planting white truffle mycelia on the roots of oak trees. If you are lucky, you may harvest white truffles in seven to ten years' time. Overripe white truffles will disintegrate and rot in the soil, release spores, sprout and grow into hyphae, and grow symbiotically when they encounter the root whiskers of oaks. Because the white truffle is very picky about the growing environment, it cannot grow as long as there is a slight change in sunlight, water or the pH of the soil, which is why white truffle is so rare.

Auction price of white truffle fungus

1. November 16, 2007-the white truffle, known as the diamond in delicacies, was bought by an Italian gourmet in Hong Kong for a record-breaking HK $950000. The 1.2 kg white truffle, which is much heavier than the ordinary 40 grams of the same strain, will be officially made into four main courses on November 18, 2007, and will be offered to white truffle buyers.

2. 2008 the world was hit by the financial tsunami, and the price of the white truffle, known as the "white diamond", was inevitably affected. In the white truffle charity auction held by Grand Lisboa Macau in Macao through satellite in four cities around the world, the "fungus king" with the largest kilogram produced that year was sold by Stanley Ho for HK $1.56 million, weighing 1.08kg, with an average of 1400 yuan per gram.

3. The 2009 Italian White truffle International Charity auction Dinner was held on the evening of December 12 in Grand Lisboa Macau, Macao. Among them, an 800g white truffle with a price comparable to that of diamond was auctioned live by satellite in Macau, London, Rome and Moscow. After several bids, the white truffle was finally won by SJM for US $250000, marking the third year in a row that the Stanley Ho family has been awarded the World Truffle King of the year.

4. On November 11, 2014, a "largest white truffle" was found in Alba in northwestern Italy. A buyer has offered $1 million (about 6.15 million yuan). The white truffle will be auctioned and the proceeds will be donated to charity. It is reported that this piece of white truffle weighs 1.89 kilograms and was discovered by Sabatino, the world's largest supplier of white truffles.