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Delicacies from the land of the Basque Country, the truffle of Araba.
The Truffle Cooperative of Alava (Arabako Boilurra kooperatiba Elkartea in Basque) has invited us to discover first hand the world of truffle growing, an aspect of our land that many people do not know, the production of the black truffle in the Basque province of Araba. The truffle is a delicacy famous all over the world but many people do not know how it is produced and when, some unknowns that thanks to the Araba truffle cooperative we are going to reveal in detail.
Information from the Truffle Cooperative of Alava.
- President: Ramón Barrón.
- Trufficulture technician: Asun Quintana Uriarte.
- Members of the cooperative: 51.
- Hectares of production: 150 hectares.
- Production: Depends on the weather.
- Harvesting season: December-March.
- Products for sale: Fresh truffle, frozen truffle and truffle oil.
- Phone: 627 04 15 87
- Website: www.latrufadealava.com
- Experiences: There is the possibility of experiences for groups aimed at learning about the truffle of Araba and its prized truffle oil.
Among all truffles, the black truffle, also known by the technical name of tuber melanosporum, is the most demanded, an authentic gastronomic delicacy unknown to the general public due to its non-existence in the culinary tradition of our people. Its strong aroma and flavor are its letter of introduction, unmistakable characteristics of our beloved truffle from Araba.
The truffle of Araba.
The Araba truffle cooperative was born at the end of 2006 as a result of the Action Plan for Truffle Farming in the Basque Autonomous Community, a plan elaborated in collaboration with the regional departments of the 3 historical provinces. Today, truffle growing is still a minority and unknown sector, but thanks to the efforts made by each and every one of the cooperative members, the truffle culture continues to grow throughout the Basque Country. Currently, the Araba truffle cooperative is made up of a total of 51 members, an association that is a benchmark for the truffle throughout the Basque Country.
- What is the truffle? The truffle is a subway fungus, fruit of the union of the fungus with the roots of a vegetable (oak, holm oak and hazelnut trees).
- What truffle species are there in Araba? Although there are more than 30 species of truffles worldwide, in Araba there are 4 species that grow in their “wild” form and are widely used in world gastronomy: the black truffle, the autumn truffle, the winter truffle and the summer truffle. There are more truffle species in Araba, but due to their low culinary interest they are of no value.
- How is the truffle harvested? Thanks to the great aroma that the truffle emanates when ripe, it is easy to harvest with the help of dogs trained for this type of purpose.
- What products can be obtained from truffles? Although the truffle is considered a great accompaniment for all kinds of dishes, nowadays thousands of products containing truffle are produced, an example of this is the truffle oil produced by this cooperative, which we were lucky enough to taste.
- What is the Truffle Cooperative of Alava (Arabako Boilurra kooperatiba Elkartea in Basque)? The truffle cooperative of Alava is the only cooperative that exists at the state level for this sector, a cooperative that was created to promote the truffle of Araba and compete worldwide with other truffle producers.
- Who sets the price of truffles? Prices change every week depending on world supply and demand. They range from 400 to 800 euros per kg.
- How is the truffle produced in a controlled way? The truffle can be harvested in truffle productions or in forests in its wild form. Truffle productions consist of plantations of holm oaks, oaks or hazelnut trees (to a lesser extent, the care is much greater) in which the fungus has been previously implanted in the roots of the tree. It takes between 5 and 10 years to obtain the first truffle productions.
History of the truffle in Araba: Although the truffle is not one of the most demanded products in traditional Basque cuisine, it is a product that has always existed under our feet. The truffle has been a product little appreciated by the Basque people, being consumed only in times of scarcity while in the rest of the world it was one of the most desired nectars, which is why the French and Catalans used to make routine trips to obtain the truffles that grew wild in our soil. Nowadays, once its gastronomic potential has been recognized, the black truffle of Araba is produced naturally in thousands of holm oaks and oaks planted in the lands of the Mountains and valleys of Alava with the sole purpose of producing truffles. Truffle production represents an important option for the rural development of the towns of Alava, being a complementary crop to other activities in the agricultural sector. Araba currently has a total area of about 150 hectares dedicated to truffle production.
The truffle in gastronomy: The Greek and Roman civilizations already knew about the gastronomic pleasures offered by the truffle, and evidence has been found that in the 4th century B.C. the truffle was considered a product destined to the upper classes. Nowadays, truffles are presented as an accompaniment to thousands of dishes, a product that, due to the intensity of its aroma, must be dosed in a controlled manner.
The truffle harvesting: Although the regulations of the Provincial Council of Alava establish the truffle harvesting from the beginning of November until the end of February, currently, due to climate change, this period has been slightly modified and can be harvested until the month of March. Truffles develop underground, making their presence go unnoticed by human sight and smell, a fact that forces truffle producers to resort to animals with an exquisite sense of smell such as dogs, pigs or wild boars. Although the pig or wild boar seems to be the best animal for this type of task, in Araba, the animal allowed for this purpose is the dog, regardless of its breed. Once located and dug up, the truffle must be cleaned until all the soil adhering to its surface has been removed.
The truffle scam: There are many suppliers who buy Asian truffles and sell them passing them off as native truffles, a truffle that lacks the conditions that make it perfect to prepare dishes of high culinary level, beware!
The potential of the Araba truffle: The Araba truffle cooperative currently supplies practically all the top restaurants in the Basque Country, a market that is accompanied by local fairs to provide an outlet for this prized subway product.
Location: Truffle production in the Basque Country is very localized, and the fact is that there are currently only truffle “farms” in the province of Araba, in the Alavese mountains and valleys of Alava.
Characteristics of the truffle: The characteristics of the truffle depend a lot on the species, in our case we are going to focus on the one preferred by chefs around the world, the black truffle (Boilur beltza in Basque), this truffle acquires an intense aroma that, together with its black color and white veins, makes it unmistakable. The configuration of the soil and the climatology makes this product change slightly depending on the region where it is produced.
The truffle from Araba is a product with a great future, a product that is going to give much to talk about in international gastronomy. Do you want to know it?
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