Morocco is among the countries where truffles grow. Due to their rarity and high value, they are often referred to as the “eggs of the earth,” “jewels of the soil,” or even “earth’s thunder.” Truffles are a type of fungus, similar in appearance to potatoes. A single Moroccan truffle can weigh between 100 and 150 grams. Depending on soil fertility, climate quality, and rainfall abundance, truffle hunters may find specimens as small as a walnut. In some regions of Morocco, the presence of truffles is seen as a sign of a promising agricultural season.

Truffles are considered a vital natural resource for Morocco’s rural economy and play a key role in reducing pressure on forests and pastures. New strategies for agricultural and forestry development are increasingly focused on natural, locally sourced products—and truffles are a prime example. Though diverse in type and development potential, truffles remain understudied in terms of geographical distribution and productivity. Morocco is home to around ten desert truffle species, from the genera Terfezia, Tirmania, Delastria, Picoa, and Tuber. These species are found across four main growing regions: the Oriental, the Maâmora Forest, the Doukkala-Abda Sahel, and the Moroccan Sahara.

Truffle production and the role of rainfall

Truffle productivity varies significantly by region and is closely tied to soil quality and rainfall distribution. Creating maps of truffle-growing areas and their yields is a necessary step toward understanding the sector’s potential and improving decision-making to promote Moroccan truffles.

The truffle sector boasts several strengths: its species diversity, vast production areas, contribution to local incomes, and traditional harvesting knowledge. However, challenges remain—particularly in terms of organizing and regulating the sector.

Opportunities include strong international demand and national interest in developing local product strategies. The main threat is the reduction in rainfall and consecutive years of drought, driven by climate change.

Proposed actions include enacting specific legislation, establishing a dedicated truffle market, and encouraging truffle cultivation to ease pressure on wild harvests. Expanding scientific research on truffles is also recommended.

A nutritional and culinary powerhouse

Truffles are wild, spherical mushrooms with a fleshy texture. Though they resemble medium-sized potatoes in appearance, they are markedly different in taste, nutritional value, and market worth. Growing beneath the surface in desert and semi-desert zones, they belong to the “Plantia” family and lack roots or leaves. As one of the most expensive edible fungi, their value and variety depend on soil composition and rainfall.

Truffles are located by cracks in the soil and the presence of nearby plants. They are dug up manually or with trained dogs. Morocco is known for several truffle types: the prized local white variety, desert truffles, red truffles, and the rare black truffle—often reserved for export.

Truffle harvesting is a seasonal livelihood for many Moroccans, taking place from late winter to early spring. Groups of men and women venture out daily to collect and sell their finds at local markets. Others are hired to gather truffles on behalf of landowners.

Morocco’s strategic location in North Africa and near the Strait of Gibraltar provides it with rich plant biodiversity. These natural resources create valuable opportunities to boost rural incomes and job creation in fragile regions.

Truffles as a meat substitute

Highly nutritious, truffles are often used as a meat alternative in areas where they grow. They are rich in proteins, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. They also contain linoleic acid—an essential fatty acid—as well as fats and carbohydrates, according to various studies.

Historical food sources describe truffles as “earthy fruits” that are cold and moist in nature, consumed raw or cooked, and beneficial to the body. Traditional remedies even cite truffle water as a treatment for weak eyesight and hair loss.

Truffles are thoroughly cleaned before being cooked with meat tagines or eggs, or added to soups, couscous, and rice to enhance flavor. Modern medical research supports their health benefits, citing a mineral profile similar to that of the human body, including phosphorus, sodium, calcium, potassium, and notable amounts of vitamins B1 and B2—alongside nitrogen, carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen, making their composition closely resemble that of meat.

Desert truffles dominate the market

Morocco’s four major truffle-producing zones—the Oriental, Maâmora Forest, Doukkala-Abda Sahel, and Moroccan Sahara—are known primarily for their desert truffles. In addition to these, the country also produces “true truffles” from the Tuber genus, which grow in association with holm oak roots. Both types can be wild or cultivated.

Desert truffles are highly valued and have led policymakers to label them as emblematic local products. The term refers to hypogeous, seasonal edible fungi of the Ascomycete class, thriving in the arid and semi-arid Mediterranean region. These include species from Terfezia, Tirmania, Delastria, Picoa, Mattirolomyces, and Loculotuber.

They are a natural source of many nutrients and bioactive compounds—proteins, amino acids, vitamins, sterols, terpenes, fatty acids, minerals, and carbohydrates. For centuries, desert truffles have served as both a culinary delicacy and a food reserve in times of scarcity, especially among nomadic communities in the Moroccan Sahara.