• A Kuwaiti vendor displays desert truffles at a market in the capital Kuwait City. The desert truffle, an underground fungus, is unique to arid environments. AFP
    A Kuwaiti vendor displays desert truffles at a market in the capital Kuwait City. The desert truffle, an underground fungus, is unique to arid environments. AFP
  • Kuwaiti vendors sell desert truffles at a market in Kuwait City. The abundance of the desert truffle means that unlike its European counterpart, it is the main component of a dish rather than a seasoning. AFP
    Kuwaiti vendors sell desert truffles at a market in Kuwait City. The abundance of the desert truffle means that unlike its European counterpart, it is the main component of a dish rather than a seasoning. AFP
  • Desert truffles for sale in a Kuwait City market. The truffles grow in a symbiotic relationship with desert shrubbery. AFP
    Desert truffles for sale in a Kuwait City market. The truffles grow in a symbiotic relationship with desert shrubbery. AFP
  • Kuwaiti women buy desert truffles at a market in Kuwait City. AFP
    Kuwaiti women buy desert truffles at a market in Kuwait City. AFP
  • A Kuwaiti vendor displays a pile of desert truffles at a market in Kuwait City. Rains in early winter can bring an abundance of 'Terfeziaceae' fungi months later. AFP
    A Kuwaiti vendor displays a pile of desert truffles at a market in Kuwait City. Rains in early winter can bring an abundance of 'Terfeziaceae' fungi months later. AFP
  • A customer selects desert truffles in Kuwait City. The truffles are boiled in rice dishes or chargrilled on open fires. AFP
    A customer selects desert truffles in Kuwait City. The truffles are boiled in rice dishes or chargrilled on open fires. AFP
  • A bumper crop of desert truffles in Kuwait City. Collectors say that in a good year they can be harvested by the sackful. AFP
    A bumper crop of desert truffles in Kuwait City. Collectors say that in a good year they can be harvested by the sackful. AFP

Gulf

Kuwaiti market sellers entice shoppers with desert truffles – in pictures

Unlike their European counterparts, desert truffles are a main ingredient in a dish rather than a seasoning

The National

February 05, 2021

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Kuwait