What Type of Mushrooms Grow Underground & Are the Size of Golf Balls?

Truffles are one of the world's most highly prized mushrooms. These underground mushrooms grow below ground and are known for their scent and flavor. Truffles are primarily a wild mushroom and efforts to cultivate them have met with limited success. They are often used fresh as part of fine dining cuisine and are especially known for their use in French and Italian cuisines.

There are two colors of truffles: white and black. White truffles have a mottled white color on their exterior, with occasional patches of light brown. The interior of a white truffle is ivory to cream-colored, although on occasion, they can be light brown with white marbling.

Black truffles are also know as the black Périgord truffle because of the region they are traditionally associated with in southwest and central France. Black truffles are black to dark brown on the outside, with a pale coffee-colored flesh. Truffles can be a golf ball-looking mushroom or can be larger mushrooms that are almost 4 inches in diameter.

Truffles can grow in a variety of countries around the world, including France, China, the United States and parts of Eastern Europe. Attempts to cultivate truffles have only met with moderate success, and the majority of truffles are still wild.

Truffles can only be grown outdoors. Truffles grow in or near oak trees. In the cases of cultivated truffles, the roots of the oak trees are inoculated with the spores, causing truffles to grow in the soil nearby. All truffles are mushrooms that grow underground.

Traditionally pigs were used to find truffles. While pigs are still used in some circumstances, dogs have gained popularity as they can be trained to find truffles based on the scent and they don't eat the found mushrooms.

The scent and flavor of the truffle is particularly pungent, and after size and color, is one of the primary considerations in terms of the value. The scent of the truffle is very distinctive, and fresh truffles will pass on their scent to nearby foodstuffs. For example, truffles that have been stored next to raw eggs in the refrigerator will pass on their scent to the eggs. The flavor of truffles is very rich, and even a little bit added to a dish will pass on the scent of the mushroom.

In addition to the black and white truffles, there are also several other truffle species that are often considered of lower quality than either the black or white truffles. Burgundy truffles are harvested throughout Europe during the fall and the winter. The two harvest periods distinguish burgundy truffles from summer truffles.

Chinese truffles are also available though their lesser flavor and scent means they are considered to be inferior in quality. Chinese truffles can be black or white. Last, the Oregon white truffle and the pecan truffle -- which grows by pecan trees -- are two species of truffles that can be found in the United States.