Pecan Truffles (Tuber lyonii)

A species of truffle native to North America with a potent aroma of nuts, truffle, and soil that has nothing to do with pecan pie. Pecan truffles (Tuber lyonii) are highly recommended for any truffle lover, if you can get your hands on them. In this post I'll share a little of what I've learned about them and how to use them in the kitchen.

I learned of T. lyonii in 2018 when a friend of a friend found pecan truffles growing with red oak trees in Minnesota in Early October. We estimate the trees were around 50-60 years old. The range of these truffles is much larger than originally thought, stretching from Northern Mexico to Ontario east of the Rocky Mountains.

There's more to be revealed here. As more people start hunting truffles with dogs recreationally the range of this fungus should continue to be updated.

As pecan truffles often grow protruding from the soil and require no digging, it's possible to literally stumble over them. But, truffle dogs are one of the most important parts of the equation since if the truffle isn't ripe, there will be no aroma.

Background

Pecan truffles are a relatively recent addition to the truffle lexicon, and, as you name implies, the fungus grows in a mycorrhizal relationship with pecan tree (Carya illinoensis) roots.

Doctor Tim Brenneman, a plant pathologist and professor at UGA is credited with bringing attention to them in the late 80's. One friend I spoke to called him "the godfather of pecan truffles".

A specialist of working with Traditional Georgian crops like peanuts and pecan trees, Dr. Brenneman unearthed some truffles in a pecan orchard. He sent the truffles to mycologist Richard Hanlin at the University of Georgia who identified them as Tuber texense, an outdated synonym of Tuber lyonii.

Fast forward twenty years and two new pecan-associate truffles have been discovered (Tuber brennemanii and T. floridanum) the former named after Dr. Brenneman. There's links to more information on his work at the end of the post, and I've also heard Purdue University is trying to grow them for commercial sale.

Truffle Dog Company

I got my truffles from my friend Alana McGee at Truffle Dog Company. She sources them from a forager in North Carolina who finds them during pecan truffle season (mid-September through December). At this time of writing, her company is the only supplier I can find who sells pecan truffles in the United States.

Alana's a certified dog trainer with a background in animal behavior-the kind of experience you'd expect one of the leading truffle dog trainers in the U.S. to have.

She leads forays in wild places and in truffle orchards for the general public using the famous Italian Lagotto Romagnolo truffle dogs. And yes, she can train your dog to find truffles.

Truffle Agro-Tourism and Truffières

One of the most promising things around North American truffles is the potential for agro-tourism. If walking through a truffle orchard (known as a Truffière) with a glass of champagne digging your own truffles sounds fun (the agony!) get in touch with Alana.

Currently her forays focus on native varieties like Oregon black and white truffles, hosted at places like Cartright Truffiere in Oregon and Caelesta Vineyard in California.

How much are pecan truffles worth?

Unfortunately, you'll be lucky to even have the chance to buy pecan truffles right now. Most references put the price similar to budget truffles, varying wildly from $160-400 per pound. I paid more for mine at $70 per ounce or $1120 per pound, making them one of the more expensive truffles I've purchased.

Even though these are in the white truffle family, $70 an ounce is a product of scarcity. As time goes on and more people grow pecan truffles to harvest commercially, I'd wager the price will stabilize and find an equilibrium market price around $20 per oz or $300 per pound comparable with other budget truffles like Tuber brumale and Tuber mesentericum.

What do Pecan Truffles Taste Like?

Similar to other truffles like Blue Ridge Truffles (Imaia gigantea) these have the truffle flavor you know and love mixed with something else, in this case, an intensely nutty, slightly musky aroma. In short, they taste like toasted nuts and truffle.

Cooking and Eating

Just like other truffles these are best used raw or infused into things that are high in fat like oil or dairy based desserts and pasta dishes. Unlike other truffles, they're more brittle and should be sliced with a small, sharp knife. Using a truffle slicer will likely break them into crumbles.

Tips

• Alana recommends cutting a wheel of brie in half, covering with truffles and infusing overnight. The aroma soaks into fatty cheeses.
• Try storing butter, eggs, or slices of meat in the container with the truffles for a few days.
• Like other white truffles, the flavor is the most potent raw.
• The truffles can potentially last for over a week or more in the fridge, but the aroma will be the strongest within a few days of harvesting.

Here's a few examples of how you might use them in the kitchen. One of my favorites was simply eating them with pieces of prosciutto.

Pecan Orchard Ice Cream

Follow my directions for Jean Louis Palladin's Black Truffle Ice Cream. Add ¼ cup chopped pecans at the end.

Truffle Gnocchi with Pecan Pesto

By far my favorite way I've eaten them, and a fun way to honor the symbiosis of the trees and truffles.

To make it, for each serving of 2 oz cooked gnocchi, warm 1 oz of cream with 1 tablespoon of pecan pesto made with 1 part oil and parmesan to 2 parts lightly toasted pecans. Turn the heat off before adding the pesto, toss with the gnocchi and garnish with sliced truffles.

Pecan Truffle Oil

The truffles take very well to infusing in oil. Follow my directions for homemade truffle oil. Dip blanched vegetables in it and sprinkle with crunchy salt for a great crudité.

With Meat

Eat thick slices of truffle with high quality prosciutto as a very special start to a truffle dinner.

Storing with Eggs

Just like other truffles their aroma will quickly permeate eggs when stored in a jar. Use the infused eggs to make truffle deviled eggs.

More Unique Truffles

• Blue Ridge Truffles (Imaia gigantea)
• Honey Truffles (Mattirolomyces terfezioides)
• Appalachian Truffles (Tuber canaliculatum)

References

• Dr. Tim Brenneman
• New Truffles Identified in Florida Pecan Orchards
• Propagation of Edible Pecan Truffles in Pecan Nurseries