The edible truffle Choiromyces venosus and its use in Sweden

The ascomycete truffle Choiromyces venosus is still largely unknown with respect to its biology, ecology and physiology. C. venosus has been collected and consumed as a delicacy in Sweden for at least 100 years. The species was first described by Fries in 1830 , and has been regarded synonymous with C. meandriformis , described by Vittadini 1831. In southern Europe there is a widespread belief that C. venosus is toxic to humans, but no record of C. venosus poisoning has ever been reported from northern Europe. Whether there is a taxonomic / phylogenetic explanation underlying the different traditions in different parts of Europe is currently under investigation. Our studies in this field include cytotoxicity data and are under completion. This is a highly important aspect in the attempts to establish a new cash crop. Preliminary results indicate that the amounts of C. venosus extract required to achieve cell death in the cytotoxicity assay is similar to that of other commonly consumed fungi including Agaricus bisporus and Tuber aestivum .