Yes, truffles are known all over the world not only as fungi, but also as an exquisite delicacy that s meant to be savored along with other gourmet dishes. You can tell that a mushroom is a truffle if it has a thick, rough, and wrinkled outer skin. It is usually black, white, or brown, depending on its variety. Here are some of the most common types of truffles that are being used in gourmet dishes: - the Oregon white truffle or Tuber oregonense and T. gibbosum found in the Pacific Northwest, from British Columbia to northern California and usually grow from February to June. - the Oregon brown truffle or the Leucangium brunneum which has an exterior with reddish-brown color along with a grayish mottled interior. Host plants - There are truffle businesses, like the Garland, that do not only buy gourmet mushrooms and truffles, but they also sell inoculated trees to serve as host plants or trees for the mushrooms. They usually sell oaks and hazelnut trees which are inoculated with Black Perigord or Black Burgundy truffle, or whatever variety will be grown. Truffles, when they mature, would develop a strong scent which can be detected by animals. When looking for truffles, small animal diggings around the tree roots would be a good indication that truffles are probably nearby. The scent could even attract animals bigger than the squirrel, like pigs and dogs. A truffle starts to grow only after about seven years, and the tree where a truffle grows can produce them for only 15 to 30 years. That explains why truffles come with hefty price tags. These days, however, there is a concerted effort to replenish truffle-bearing trees to increase truffle production. You could also place them inside jars and store them in the freezer. You could also infuse the truffles in oil to preserve them. When cooking with truffles, there are several guidelines in order to enhance or heighten the flavour. Keep the flavour of the truffle as the center of the dish. Do not overwhelm it with food with strong flavours.