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Mushrooms
Desert truffle, Terfezia claveryi, is an underground fungus of dry Spanish and Moroccan ground that is gathered and sold seasonally, under names such as terfass, in local markets.
Terfezia claveryi is a desert truffle: the underground fruiting body of a fungus that grows in association with the roots of desert shrubs. The species is recorded in Spain and Morocco, where it is known in local markets and in regional names. Sources describe it as an edible desert truffle with a seasonal, local trade.
The name desert truffle covers several related species and genera. Sources on the group note that colour and market names vary, so a label on a sale is not enough to say which fungus it is.
Moroccan markets sell the fungus as terfass, also spelled terfess or terfez. A study from the Arfoud area of south-eastern Morocco describes a specimen collected close to Helianthemum lippii, which it calls the Red Terfess of Tafilalt.
In Spain the names differ by region: turmas in Murcia, and patatas de tierra or criadillas de tierra in Extremadura. Some sources call the species the black desert truffle and others the red one.
The Moroccan study ties the species to the desert shrub Helianthemum lippii. Spanish sources record cultivation of the species from 1999, with Helianthemum almeriense as the principal host plant. The mycorrhizal link to these shrubs is the subject of the Moroccan biodiversity study cited below.
In both countries the truffle is gathered from the ground and sold in markets, as a seasonal local food. A regional review from south-eastern Spain describes the species as a socio-economic resource of that region and the wider Mediterranean basin.
The sources reviewed do not give a validated preparation method, a cooking time or a storage limit for the species.
A 2021 study compared the aroma and nutrient profiles of Terfezia claveryi and Terfezia boudieri, and describes it as a first look at the metabolites and sensory composition of desert truffles. A genome of T. claveryi has been sequenced and released through the US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute.
The edibility of this species rests on regional use and on correct identification. The sources reviewed contain no toxicity assessment for T. claveryi. Anyone who gathers or buys a desert truffle should have its identity confirmed by a qualified local authority rather than by a photograph or a market label. This page gives no dose, cooking time or storage limit.
Country-level. Spanish cultivation and regional names are recorded; no single origin is claimed.
Country-level. Moroccan markets and a documented specimen are recorded.
One documented specimen collected near Helianthemum lippii; this does not describe all collection in the region.
A picked mushroom keeps breathing and growing. A fridge 3 °C warmer than it should be can cut its life from a week to two days, and the cold that saves a button mushroom ruins a straw mushroom.
Desert truffles spoil within hours or days. Some Bahraini Bedouin pickle them in vinegar and salt, a practice with one line of evidence and no safety data. Here is what a safe acidified pickle needs, and what is missing.
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ResearchGateMethod · History
Desert truffle biodiversity, biology, ecology, and mycorrhizal connection in MoroccoMoroccan desert truffle biodiversity, biology and ecology, with a mycorrhizal link to Helianthemum hosts.
Spanish regional names: turmas (Murcia), patatas de tierra and criadillas de tierra (Extremadura).
MDPI, Environmental Sciences ProceedingsHistory · Method
Desert Truffles and Truffles in Morocco: Biodiversity of Promising Fungi to Combat DesertificationMoroccan market name terfass, also spelled terfess or terfez.
Specimen collected close to Helianthemum lippii in the Arfoud region, known as the Red Terfess of Tafilalt.
Described as an edible species with a seasonal, local trade.
ScienceDirect (Elsevier)Method
Comparative metabolome classification of desert truffles Terfezia claveryi and Terfezia boudieri via its aroma and nutrients profileComparison of aroma and nutrient profiles of T. claveryi and T. boudieri.
US Department of Energy Joint Genome InstituteMethod
Terfezia claveryi T7 v1.0A genome sequence for Terfezia claveryi is available from the JGI portal.