UF Sniffs Out New Truffle Worth $800 a Pound

Researchers at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences have just shaken up the truffle family tree—and they’ve done it with help from a couple of sniffing dogs.

UF/IFAS scientists have confirmed that the prized Oregon black truffle, long thought to be the same species found in Europe, is actually genetically distinct. Their research, published in Persoonia, gives the North American variety a new name: Leucangium cascadiense, in honor of its Cascadia roots. These truffles can fetch up to $800 per pound from gourmet chefs.

To understand the truffle’s biology, UF researchers—including former student Benjamin Lemmond—partnered with specially trained dogs that can sniff out truffles buried up to 10 inches deep. The team confirmed the fungi’s symbiotic relationship with Douglas fir trees—crucial for future cultivation and conservation efforts.

But that’s not all. They also identified two more rare species—one from the Southern Appalachians, and another surprise discovery from New York and Massachusetts.

UF says the findings show just how much there is still to uncover beneath our forest floors.