Desert truffles

Desert truffle (honey truffles) is used to refer to edible mushrooms (fungi that live entirely underground) that grow in the arid and semi-arid regions of the Mediterranean and the Middle East, from the genera Loculotuber (Fig1), Terfezia (Fig2,4,5), Picoa (Fig3),Tirmania (Fig5,6), Mattirolomyces, Delastria and Tuber.

Desert truffles are very popular in Arab countries and found in the local market of Morocco under the common name "terfs" (Terfs or Terfez) "desert truffle". Desert truffles go by several different names. In Iran, they are called "Donbalan or Dombal". In Kurdistan, they are called "دۆمبەڵان" in Central Anatolia and Kurdistan regions, as well as "Kema" (Fig4,5) on the border between Syria and Kurdistan. In Algeria and Tunisia, they are called "Tarfaz". The Bedouins of the Western Sahara call them" Terfas". The Kuwaitis call them "Faqa", the Saudis call them "Fiqh", and in Syria and Libya they call them "Terfas". They are known by their classical Arabic name, "Kama". In the south of Spain it is called "Turma" or "Criadilla" and in the Canary Islands it is called "Papa Cria". In Botswana they are called "Mahupo". In Hungary they are known as "homoki szarvasgomba" ("sand truffles") and are sold to English-speaking countries as "honey truffles".

There are two types in Saudi Arabia. The "khalasi" (Fig 2) are oval in shape with black skin and an ivory-pink interior, and the "zabidi" (Fig 6,7) is cream in color, but generally more expensive. 

In Oceanic countries, there is confusion about the desert truffle, as the yam is often referred to as the common desert truffle. They are harvested in spring, except for "Delastria rosea" and "Tuber oligospermum", which mature in November and December.

"Desert truffles" other than Tirmania grow naturally in Spain, but only three species of Terfizia are commercially important: T. arenaria, T. claveryi (Fig 4,5), and T. fanfani.