This year, truffles have been absent from the markets of Damascus, unlike previous years, due to a lack of rainfall.

During a tour by Enab Baladi to monitor the prices and availability of truffles in the markets this March, it became evident that their quantity is low, covering only a few vegetable and fruit shops.

Truffles are classified into several types based on size and color, such as “Zubaydi,” “Harqa,” “Habri,” and “black,” with prices increasing as the size of the truffle grows.

Sold to Gulf states

Salim Hamad, a public sector employee, told Enab Baladi that the price of truffles is very high, and while he used to have them once a year, today they are beyond his purchasing power, so he substitutes them for red meat or chicken.

Moreover, Mohammed al-Akkad, a member of the Vegetable and Fruit Traders and Exporters Committee, explained to Enab Baladi that this year’s truffle season does not exceed 10% of the quantities from previous years.

The price for one kilogram of high-quality truffles in the al-Hal market ranges between 200,000 to 300,000 Syrian pounds, while most of the collected quantities are exported to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, with only a small percentage available in local markets, according to al-Akkad.

Prices vary depending on the type of truffle and the size of a single piece, with smaller and lower-quality types available in the markets priced between 75,000 and 100,000 Syrian pounds per kilogram.

The dollar is averaging 10,000 Syrian pounds in the black market, according to the currency price website “S-P Today.”

Decline in truffle season

In the city of Deir Ezzor, an Enab Baladi correspondent reported that this year’s truffle season is different due to both the low available quantities and the residents’ fears of landmines.

Deir Ezzor has two harvesting seasons for truffles, which are the main source in Syria.

These seasons are controlled by weather conditions, with the first season occurring in winter (from November to February) and a shorter season during the spring.

Salah Samim, a truffle trader in Deir Ezzor, told Enab Baladi that previously, truffles were gathered by specific individuals who would buy and sell them directly in the desert. Today, those who harvest them are the ones who directly offer them for sale in the market.

The quantity of truffles this season is low due to the lack of rainfall, amounting to about 5% compared to the previous year, with the collected quantities being exported to neighboring countries.

According to the trader, the price for one kilogram of “Harqa” truffles ranges between 200,000 and 250,000 Syrian pounds, while the prices for other types range from 100,000 to 150,000 Syrian pounds, and the demand for purchasing is weak, according to Samim.

Those involved in truffle gathering rely on a small metal or wooden tool to dig through the soil in search of truffles that are close in color to the earth.

Most shoppers that Enab Baladi met reported that the price of truffles this season is significantly high compared to their monthly income, which prevents them from buying it.

Truffles grow in protected lands that are not subject to plowing, sowing, fertilization, or other agricultural operations, which explains their presence in natural reserves and in the desert areas of Raqqa, al-Hasakah, and Deir Ezzor. The abundance of lightning accompanying rainfall is an indicator of truffle availability.

The truffle fruit is rich in phosphorus, sodium, potassium, and antioxidants, and is described as the “daughter of lightning and thunder,” with its season available if rain comes in early autumn, and it can be prepared in various ways.