Diputación promotes truffle cultivation to generate wealth and opportunities
Sunday, 03 February 2019 - Castelló Ruta de Sabor
The Castellón Provincial Council has taken a step forward in its promotion of truffle growing as an activity that generates wealth and new opportunities in the interior of the province with the training sessions ‘Aspects to take into account in the realization of nests, microscopy practices’.
The Diputación de Castellón has taken a step further in its promotion of truffle growing as an activity that generates wealth and new opportunities in the interior of the province with the training sessions ‘Aspects to consider in the realization of nests, microscopy practices’. Today one of the sessions has taken place at the Cedes Center that the Provincial Council houses in Morella and has brought together enthusiasts and producers in the area. Sessions have already taken place at the Cedes Center in Lucena del Cid, at the Center for Development, Information and Rural Promotion of Alto Palancia in Villanueva de Viver and will also take place in Catí on February 9 as part of the XVI Mostra de la Trufa Negra de L’Alt Maestrat Castelló Ruta de Sabor. As explained by the deputy of Rural Development, Pablo Roig, “this initiative is part of the Provincial Government’s boost to the resources offered by Castellón to revitalize the territory in order to multiply the opportunities for development of the interior of the province”. In short, as indicated, it is about “promoting all the opportunities offered to our interior by the cultivation of this precious fungus”. It should be noted that these conferences are organized by the Trufficulture Advisory Service of the Provincial Council, through Castelló Ruta de Sabor, which has identified the need for this type of training among producers, since the identification of spores of different species is a very important and necessary practice because, among other reasons, avoids introducing unwanted species in the field.
Truffle Farming Advisory Service
Within the line of promotion and enhancement of the truffle as a backbone of tourism in the inland area, the council created the Truffle Farming Advisory Service through which it offers in-person, telephone or e-mail to the farmer who has a truffle plantation. “The aim is to strengthen the truffle as a sustainable economic alternative for the inland regions of the province,” explained Roig. Catí hosts the XVI Black Truffle Fair of lÁlt Maestrat
The Provincial Council of Castellón will promote the benefits of gastronomic tourism in the interior of the province through the XVI Mostra de la Trufa Negra de l’Alt Maestrat that this year will take place next February 9 and 10 in the municipality of Catí.
It should be noted that this is a monographic fair that is repeated every year, in an itinerant way, in the municipalities of Benassal, Culla, Catí and Albocàsser, at the most intense moment of the truffle harvesting season and when it has its greatest aromatic and flavor properties. Both truffle growers, technicians, scientists and marketers, regular consumers of this emblematic and exceptional product, as well as those who wish to approach it for the first time, gather annually at this event.
A full program of activities for all audiences
Throughout the weekend, in the tent of the fairgrounds, located between the street Mosén Joan Puig and Plaza del Sol, will be the scene of dozens of activities for all audiences, where a market will be located with more than twenty booths linked to the sector, sale of fresh truffle and processed products, mycorrhizal plants, fertilizers… In addition, there will be an innovative ‘Truffled Tapas Table’ where attendees will be able to taste truffle dishes, thanks to the collaboration of local associations. There will also be a multitude of parallel activities, aimed at both professionals and the general public. On Saturday morning, the 10th, there will be a practical workshop on truffle dog training and a workshop on spore identification by the Truffle Advisory Service of the Provincial Council of Castellón, which will also be repeated in the afternoon in a second shift. To participate in these two activities it is necessary to register in advance at www.trufamaestrat.es. At 16:30 is scheduled the presentation of the Association of Truffle Growers of Castellón (TRUFCAS). Similarly, at 17:30h, the fairgrounds will host a children’s cooking workshop sponsored by the AMPA of Catí, at 18:30h, a showcooking with tasting and commented wine tasting of the PGI Castellón by David Buch, president of the Association of Sommeliers of Castellón and Province (ASUCAP), as well as the musical performance of the group Decajón, which will close the day. On Sunday morning, at 11:30 am, an interesting practical talk on “Quality, conservation, aromas and differentiation of truffle species” is scheduled to be given by Pedro Marco from the Center for Agri-Food Research and Technology of Aragon. Not to be missed will be the traditional ‘Contest of the heaviest truffle’, sponsored by La Unió de Llauradors i Ramaders. From 10:45h to 11:30h, at the stand of La Unió, the truffles participating in this contest will be received, their weight will be checked and they will be exhibited to the public. The truffles must be in good condition and free of any impurities. It should be noted that, in previous editions of lamostra, the winning truffles were around 400 gr., so the event organizers encourage participation in the contest in search of “a truffle of record”. At 11:30 a.m. a new edition of the black truffle (latuber melanosporum) searching dogs competition will be held. This competition is one of the events that generates more expectation and where dogs can test their olfactory qualities to locate this precious fungus. The participants, coming from different parts of the national geography, will compete for trophies and cash prizes. At 13:00h, the showcooking with tasting of the private chef and finalist of the prestigious contest “Chef of the Year”, Sergio Salvador, will be the last of the events before the awards ceremony.
