Túberas develop across the country, which are also known as tubras, or more commonly, truffles. The Alentejo variety is different from many others, more common in restaurants or even in supermarket snacks.

Túberas Alentejanas, in addition to their white colour, are harvested with the help of human beings only. Unlike other cultures, which are helped by dogs or pigs to find truffles, in the Alentejo, farmers, or experts in the land, find the edible fungus.

The secret of harvesting túberas passes from generation to generation, and it is very difficult to discover how the Túberas Alentejanas are harvested. It is known that the fungus begins to appear in the soil a little before Spring, between the end of February and the beginning of May. Usually, they are found in clayey soils, next to trees such as the olive tree. The rain of the previous months will influence the quantity and size of the túberas, in years of abundant rain the túberas will be larger and will appear in the ground in greater quantity.

Credits: envato elements; Author: @Photology75;

The flavour of Túberas do Alentejo is less intense than that of the usual black truffles found in France and Italy. The national delicacy presupposes a simpler preparation: the túbera must be peeled and washed very well, removing all the dark spots that may be found, as they will possibly have soil in them. To cook it, just cut it into slices, like a frying potato. Traditionally, túberas are eaten with scrambled eggs so that the mild flavour of the túberas does not disappear.

If for some reason the túberas may not be prepared a short time after harvesting, it is possible to freeze the edible fungus and consume it on another occasion.

Author

Deeply in love with music and with a guilty pleasure in criminal cases, Bruno G. Santos decided to study Journalism and Communication, hoping to combine both passions into writing. The journalist is also a passionate traveller who likes to write about other cultures and discover the various hidden gems from Portugal and the world. Press card: 8463. 

Bruno G. Santos