Story: Mushrooms and other cultivated fungi

Truffle sniffing

Truffle sniffing

Truffles develop and ripen underground. They are usually found by dogs or pigs, specially trained to recognise the ripe fungi’s scent. Humans are less likely to detect them, but – as these avid truffle hunters show – they can sometimes sniff out the distinctive musky aroma when they are very close by. French folklore claims that virgin spinsters have a special talent for finding the precious fungi.

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Photograph by Gareth Renowden

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How to cite this page:

Maggy Wassilieff, 'Mushrooms and other cultivated fungi - Truffles and other ectomycorrhizal fungi', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/16860/truffle-sniffing (accessed 24 April 2024)

Story by Maggy Wassilieff, published 24 Nov 2008