Truffles – A New Economic Possibility for Nainital and Almora Districts

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Truffle - Black  Diamond of Gourmet Kitchens

Truffles along with saffron are two of the most expensive and exotic food products in the world. They are also similarly priced with a price of around a couple of thousand dollars a kilogram or so but more or less depending upon quality. Both are used as flavoring spicing agents in the most expensive food recipes of the world. While cultivation and use of Truffles is common in Europe, unlike saffron, its use is not common in Asia except in some places in China and Bhutan and few even know about it. Not long ago even the Chinese did not know about its value and fed it to pigs who just loved it and got sexually excited on eating it. It is not known if this tuber has a similar effect on humans but it certainly gives many foods an exotic and delicious flavor. However, with globalization and travel more and more persons are learning about this diamond of the kitchen. Methods for its cultivation have been developed in France and it is worth exploring the possibility of cultivating fine truffles in the Himalayas. Truffles are fungal tubers that grow in the roots of pine and oak trees. A region highly suitable for cultivation of these fungi in India are the districts of Nainital and Almora in view of  excellent Oak trees that grow in this area. The idea is to generate new environment friendly activity in the region. Truffles may be black or white. White truffles come from Italy and are regarded as the finest of truffles. Black truffles are equally prized and these grow in France in oak groves. 

The most excellent thing about this agricultural economic activity is that it does not require destruction of forests but rather requires plantation of new forest oak groves seeded with the acorn of trees bearing truffles. It is an environment enhancing activity rather than a destructive one and really appears attractive for introducing in the previously degraded forest lands of Nainital and Almora where Oak trees can be grown. Once introduced as oak groves it is possible that it would spread to adjoining pine forests also through animal activity. To initiate this project would require a couple of forestry experts from FRI Dehradun or Pant Nagar to first acquire a working knowledge of French for a year in India and then spend another year in Southern France for training, in cultivation of truffles oaks from acorns, its harvesting, and also to bring acorn seeds to India.. In view of the logistics it is a program that can be best initiated at governmental level, although it is feasible as a project by a private corporation too engaged in agro-forestry. Another possible source, closer at hand is Nepal or Bhutan. Tribhuvan university of  Nepal has a Truffle research program however it is possible that this latter route may not lead to the best possible quality.

A quick route to truffle cultivation is perhaps to purchase seedlings cultured with black truffle spawns from a company that sells the. Some companies in America do. transport them by the quickest root to Nainital and Almora and plant them in areas where existing oak trees are growing. If everything goes well, in five to six years truffles would appear and in the following years spread to other trees. It would give a tremendous boost to the local economy. Cultured hazelnut saplings is another idea. it would simultaneously yield this nut that is presently rare in India.Hazelnut plantations have been introduced successfully in Bhutan. Truffles grow in the roots of hazelnut and pine trees besides oak.

Once harvested truffles may be used fresh for a few days or preserved as extracts in oil or alcohol. The product would have a market in gourmet five star restaurants of India along with an immense export potential around the world. 

The easiest recipe for truffles is to grate some over eggs or to sprinkle its extract on fried eggs, omelets or diced boiled eggs. It can also be used to prepare excellent pilafs along with saffron with optional additions of almonds, raisin, snow peas and sliced white button mushrooms. This last is the authors own recipe, inspired his childhood home chef called Hira Lal who began his career in a European home in Nainital and came to our home after the Europeans left.. It is called Hira Pilaf/pulov. The author shall add more details of it this post in the near future. Numerous other recipes and uses may be found by googling.My Novel The Babaji affair (available world wide if you google for it) describes a rich retired person of Nainital who used to import  truffles and add them to his omelets for his breakfast every sunday along with champagne
 


Alternative possibilities of propogation

Alternatively one can take a chance by collect seedlings from productive truffle tree sites, transporting them in protective containers by air as they may carry mycorrhizal fungi and transplant into favorable soil for a chance to produce truffles.  The following method may also be attempted in a laboratory at Pant Nagar

1 Clean seeds by soaking in silver nitrate solution for 20 minutes. Remove and rinse using sterile water. Fill a seed tray with vermiculite and press seeds in and cover. Water with sterile water until germination occurs; oak acorns take up to 12 weeks if kept at 40 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Feed the seedlings with a weak solution of general liquid fertilizer and sterile water after germination and until they produce true leaves.
2 Sterilize a jar and lid in a steam oven or pressure cooker for 15 minutes at 250 degrees Fahrenheit; sterile water can be made by boiling at the same time and temperature. Remove and allow to cool.
3 Import freshly harvested ripe truffles. Brush gently to remove any soil and rinse with sterile water. Place in the jar and cover with sterile water, attach the lid and leave until the truffle deteriorates (approximately three days).
4 Make a sugar solution to fill the jar. Calculate at a rate of 1 pound of sugar per 2.5 gallons water and dissolve by heating. Allow to cool and stir into the truffle jar after the deterioration period.
5 Prepare soil to transplant oak seedlings; use a loam with a pH 7.5 to 8.3 and heat in an oven at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for four hours to sterilize. Leave to cool. Pot the seedlings by placing a seedling in a half-filled pot of soil. Fill to the top and firm gently. Apply the truffle inoculum to the seedlings at a rate of 1 in 1,000 by volume of compost. Repeat at intervals. Grow the seedling in the greenhouse for one to two years to ensure good colonization of the root system by the fungus before planting outside. Continue to use sterile water.
Several batches should be tried since success rate may be low. Both pine and oak can be attempted. In case the pant Nagar University takes it up, it facility at Patwa Dangar may offer good climatic conditions to set up the facility.

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