Last summer high temperatures and drought have heavily affected the growth of truffles on the western shore of Lake Garda: an area where all the main truffle species grow, but where the year has been characterized by a heavy setback in terms of quantity. This is the situation depicted by Virgilio Vezzola, president of Tartufai Bresciani, who for years has been committed to the promotion of truffle cultivation to meet the now endemic decline in natural production.
“Garda is undoubtedly a land dedicated to truffles – explains Vezzola -. Tuber aestivum has its range in the privileged area of Muscoline, the Valtènesi but also in Valle Sabbia, in Valtènesi the are several stations of Tuber Magnum, the famous White truffle, while for the Tuber Melanosporum or Nero Pregiato the area of reference is the high Garda, from Salò to Riva via Tremosine. Too bad that this year’s production has left much to be desired due to the extreme weather conditions in recent months. ”
The hopes of the experts are all concentrated on the Tuber melanosporum, or Nero Pregiato, a black truffle whose collection will begin as usual in December and to be exact on the 13th, day of Saint Lucia, the most awaited festivity of the year by all children in the province of Brescia.
“90% of the Nero Pregiato now comes by the cultivated productions – explains Vezzola -. We managed to preserve the indigenous strains and to reintegrate them in the area by protecting the identity. This year, the fruiting bodies of this variety have benefited from some rains in August. From some surveys carried out in the fields, it is already known that the bodies are pushing from the ground: just enough to hope for a good production, contrary to what happened to the other types. ”
The harvest begins in June with the Tuber Aestivum, which mature until August. “The availability this year, however, has fallen sharply, while prices have increased up to 500 euro per kilogram for the first option against the usual 200-250 euro”. Sharp reductions for the much sought-after Tuber Macrosporum (August to January), for Uncinatum (September to December), and even for the “King of truffles”, the Tuber Magnatum or White, which this year, says Vezzola, also arrived at prices up to 5000 euro per kilo due to lack of availability. “For forty years I have never seen a year like this – admits Vezzola -. We have found something only in the cultivated truffle stations where we were able to irrigate: and it went bad for mushrooms too”.
Vezzola insists on the need to build new cultivated stations to maintain a production that is enjoying increasing interest, especially from the restaurants. “Demand is definitely outstripping supply – explains Vezzola-. But even seekers are growing. Fortunately there are those who are investing in the future: in Muscoline for example we are developing a beautiful reality for the cultivation of Tuber Aestivum, which will become a landmark for this species. ”
For more information about how to obtain the product, the association Tartufai Bresciani is online at http://www.asstartufaibresciani.it/
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