Wildflowers Found in Oregon

Black Truffle Mushroom (Perigord Black Truffle)

Tuber melanosporum - One of the best known mycorrhizal mushrooms is the black truffle. This mushroom is found in the forests of southern France, northern Italy and north-eastern Spain on the roots of, for example, oaks and hazels. Like all truffles, the Perigord black truffle produces its fruiting bodies under the surface of the soil, and so they are generally located with the aid of a good truffle dog. The fruiting bodies are black, roughly spherical and covered with small diamond-shaped projections, making them look a little like deformed, dark colored avocados. These are considered one of the best edible mushrooms and have a place in gastronomy alongside saffron, caviar, foie gras and the finest of wines.