The Terfeziaceae, or desert truffles, is a family of truffles endemic to arid and semi-arid areas of the Mediterranean Region, North Africa, and the Middle East, where they live in ectomycorrhizal association with Helianthemum species and other ectomycorrhizal plants. This group consists of three genera: Terfezia, Tirmania, and Mattirolomyces. They are a few centimetres across and weigh from 30 to 300 grams. Desert truffles are often used as a culinary ingredient.
Family description
Fruit-bodies are large, more or less spherical to turbinate, thick-walled, and solid. The asci are formed in marbled veins interspersed with sterile tissue. The asci are cylindrical to spherical, indehiscent, and sometimes stain blue in iodine. Ascospores are hyaline to pale brown, spherical, and uninucleate.
Desert truffles do not have the same flavor as European truffles, but tend to be more common and thus more affordable. Forest truffles typically cost $1000 per kilogram, and Italian truffles may sell for up to $2,200 per kilogram, while Terfezia truffles sold as of 2002 in Riyadh for $80 to $105 a kilo, and in recent years have reached, but not yet exceeded, $270. Israeli agricultural scientists have been attempting to domesticate Terfezia boudieri into a commercial crop.
Vernacular names
Desert truffles go by several different names. In Iran they are called Donbalan, In Turkey they are called Domalan in Central Anatolia and Keme on the Syrian border. In Algeria and Tunisia they are called terfez, the Bedouin of the Western Desert call them terfas ترفاس. The Kuwaitis call them fagga فقع, the Saudis فقع faq'h, and in Syria, and in Libya terfase ترفاس, they are known by their classicalArabic name, kamaa كمأ.Iraqis call them kamaa,kima or chima كمأ, depending on local dialects and in Oman they arefaqahفقع The Hebrew word is kmehin. In southern Spain, they are known as turmas or criadillas and in the Canary Islands they are known as Papas Crias. In Botswana they are called mahupu. In Iran; they are called Dombal. The Nama-Damara call them !Nabas, where they are also known as the "Kalahari truffle". In Hungary they are known as homoki szarvasgomba and are sold to English-speaking nations as honey truffles. In Saudi Arabia, there are two varieties; khalasi are oval with a black skin and a pinkish-ivory interior, and zubaidi have a cream colour but are generally more expensive. In oceanic countries, there is some confusion regarding the desert truffle, as the yam is often referred to as the common desert truffle as well.
