Introduction to Mushrooms Revised April 2000
by By Michael W. Beug Email: beugm@evergreen.edu
The Evergreen State College, Olympia WA
Slide 8.
Ascomycetes also include species that mature underground, like Elaphomyces granulatus, the Deer Truffle. Unlike the Prized Italian and French Black Truffle or the fantastically expensive Italian white truffle, Elaphomyces granulatus is not a choice edible. It is popular with deer and small mammals that smell its potent aroma when ripe and dig it up. North America boasts a wide variety of true and false truffles, some with a flavor that can give the European truffles a run for their money. Interestingly, the best of our native truffles grow in young forest stands where one need not feel bad about doing some racking of the duff to discover a truffle. Mature forests usually yield but meager results and so raking of these beautiful places is not only a sacrilege but also a waste of time.
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