Truffle

High school (ages 12+)
Food & Cooking

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/truffle

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Genus Tuber
2. What is the key volatile compounds?Responsible for their distinctive aroma, including 2,4-dithiapentane
3. How do truffles grow?Truffles grow under the roots of certain trees like oak and hazel. They share food with the tree and need the right soil, moisture, and pH to develop.
4. Why are truffles so expensive?Truffles are rare and hard to find, and they have a unique, powerful aroma that chefs love. Because they are so special, they can cost a lot of money.

Hypogeous: Growing or occurring underground.
Ectomycorrhizal: A symbiotic association between fungal hyphae and plant roots.
Obligate Symbiosis: A relationship where one organism cannot survive without the other.