The world's most expensive mushroom species is grown in Samsun.

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The world's most expensive mushroom, known as 'truffle', is being produced as seedlings within the Samsun Forest Nursery Directorate. The seedlings, which go through many stages of production, are meeting forests in different cities of Turkey.

The truffle mushroom, which is found on the tables of many countries around the world and is especially indispensable in Italian cuisine, is known as one of the most expensive mushrooms. The Samsun Forest Nursery Directorate has been producing truffle mushroom seedlings since 2020 to ensure that this valuable mushroom exists more in nature and to promote its production. The directorate produces an average of 5,000 seedlings annually and ensures that the seedlings they produce meet different forested areas in nature. The truffle mushrooms that emerge from the seedlings that meet the soil in nature become a source of income for many people.

"TRUFFLE, A MUSHROOM TYPE WITH HIGH NUTRITIONAL VALUE USED IN THE FOOD SECTOR"

Alpaslan Kadı, the Director of the Forest Nursery, who describes the production journey of truffle mushrooms, said, "Truffle mushrooms, as known, are a type of mushroom that has been discovered recently in the world, with high nutritional value and used in the food sector. They are very rare in nature. For this reason, we, the Forest Nursery Directorates under the General Directorate of Forestry, started to produce truffle oak. Since 2020, truffle oak has been produced within the Samsun Forest Nursery Directorate. To produce truffle mushrooms, the soil is prepared first. Pumice, peat, and humus are mixed into the soil. After these are blended, insects, mushrooms, and disinfectants are mixed in. The prepared soil is left to rest for 15 days. This soil is then placed in pots to be combined with oak seeds. The soils placed in pots are then moved to a greenhouse environment. In preparing the slurry, high-quality truffle oak species with high nutritional value purchased from the market are blended. While preparing this, we add a very small amount of water and wheat starch.

"WE WATER FROM THE ROOTS"

It becomes a consistency that will not flow away from the oak roots. After the seeds planted in the greenhouse environment begin to sprout, the slurries are dipped into the truffle mushroom. Of course, the roots are trained after being taken out of the pots. The oaks dipped in the slurry are planted in tubes. The tubes are kept between 22 and 24 degrees. The humidity of the environment needs to be around 65 percent. Based on the experience we have gained over the years, we water from the roots. After ensuring the balance of moisture and heat, the truffle oak species, which we inoculate, are taken out of the greenhouse environment and moved to the outside after the 5th month. Here, they are sent to the desired provinces and natural areas to be combined with the soil," he said.