Turkey Uncovers 22 Tons of Wild Truffle Reserves
Turkey Discovers Massive Truffle Reserves in Eastern Provinces
Turkey has uncovered significant natural truffle reserves in the eastern provinces of Erzurum and Erzincan, highlighting the country's growing potential in the premium gourmet food market.
Researchers estimate that approximately 22 tons of wild truffles are spread across an area of more than 112,000 hectares.
Where the Largest Truffle Reserves Were Found
Surveys identified substantial truffle resources across several districts:
- Erzurum (Horasan, İspir and Aşkale) – approximately 3.5 tons.
- Erzincan (Çayırlı, Kemah, Tercan and Üzümlü) – approximately 6 tons.
- Refahiye District – the largest reserve, estimated at 12.5 tons.
Specially Trained Dogs Help Find Truffles
Truffles grow underground at depths of 5 to 20 centimeters, making them difficult to locate without specially trained dogs.
Professional truffle dogs are used to detect the valuable fungi hidden beneath the soil without damaging the surrounding ecosystem.
A Growing Truffle Industry
Turkey's truffle sector has already generated approximately 30 million Turkish lira in revenue, reflecting increasing domestic production and international demand for this luxury ingredient.
Investing in Future Production
In addition to harvesting wild truffles, Turkey is expanding commercial cultivation.
Scientists are inoculating oak tree roots with truffle mycorrhiza in laboratories before planting them in specially prepared areas.
- More than 2,650 inoculated oak saplings have already been planted.
- Forest nurseries plan to produce 2.5 million saplings this year.
- Production is expected to increase to 3 million saplings next year.
By combining natural truffle reserves with large-scale cultivation projects, Turkey aims to strengthen its position in the global truffle market.
The newly identified reserves and expanding cultivation efforts could make Turkey an increasingly important producer of premium truffles in the coming years.
