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Only shrubs grew naturally in the sandy, acidic soil that farmer Volker Miros chose as a site to test South Africa’s truffle production potential.
The determined mycophilus saw no reason why the highly prized mushrooms could not grow on the plateaus of the rugged Cederberg Mountains of South Africa, in the west of the country, where the climate is similar to that of Mediterranean Europe.
“We looked at where the truffles are grown in the rest of the world and it’s in the northern hemisphere, around 32 to 35 degrees north,” said Miros with the white beard, wearing a black beanie on a cold summer day. ‘winter.
“The same has to be seen at 35 degrees south” – where the family farm is about 1,100 meters (3,600 feet) above sea level, he said.
Miros, 81, who picked mushrooms with his grandfather as a child in Germany, is a pioneer in the South African truffle growing industry.
In 2009, he imported spores from the French variety of Périgord – billed as the “black diamond” of the culinary world – and used them to inoculate the roots of oak plants which were then planted in the region.
Paul Miros searches with his dog Baccio, an Italian Lagotto Romagnolo commonly used for truffle hunting. By RODGER BOSCH (AFP) After six years of trial and error, and tons of calcite lime to counter the acidity of the soil, the first truffles are finally unearthed.
Today, the family is the leading producer and supplier of Périgord in South Africa, with nearly 100 hectares (250 acres) of truffle orchards planted not only in the Cederberg region but also in other pockets of the country with climates. similar.
The most prolific of the orchards produces nearly 10 kilograms (22 pounds) of truffles per hectare each season, covering South Africa’s colder months from June to August.
“Smell of the damp forest floor”
“We were the mad farmers on top of the mountain,” laughed Miros’ son Paul, narrowing his eyes in the winter sunlight as he gazed at neat rows of inoculated oaks and shrubs surrounded by snow-capped peaks.
A dog sat obediently beside him, having recently discovered a tuber the size of a tennis ball.
The highest quality Miros truffles sell for 20,000 rand (about $ 1,370) per kilo this year, almost at the same level as European market rates.
Volker Miros, 81, picked mushrooms with his grandfather as a child in Germany. By RODGER BOSCH (AFP) Most of the shoppers are upscale local restaurants that have only recently started incorporating delicacy into their dishes.
“People in South Africa are not very familiar with truffles,” said Paul Miros, 56, comparing their taste to “the smell of damp forest soil”.
“One of our biggest challenges has been getting people to buy fresh truffles, as they only last about three weeks off the ground,” he noted.
“He needs a good chef who knows how to cook with it,” he added.
A small but growing number of restaurants have incorporated the tangy tuber into their menus, conquering delighted customers with fresh truffle pasta and buttered potato dishes.
Why not with vanilla ice cream? “This creamy texture really carries the flavor of the truffle”, explains Paul Miros. By RODGER BOSCH (AFP) Paul Miros, who likes to experiment with truffles in the kitchen, swears by a more unusual accord.
“I like to make vanilla ice cream with a bit of truffle in it,” he said. “This creamy texture … carries the flavor of the truffle really well.”
vid-sch / sn / gd
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