Ethnomycological aspects of the desert truffle among native Bahraini and non-Bahraini peoples of the Kingdom of Bahrain.

This research was conducted to assess the general knowledge, attitude, and practice of native Bahraini and non-Bahraini peoples of Bahrain about ethnomycological aspects and traditional folklore of the desert truffle. The findings were obtained through interviews and a specially designed structured questionnaire administered to subjects who were randomly recruited. A total of three species were identified from the southern parts of Bahrain. Tirmania nivea "Zubaidi" was found to be the most preferred expensive and common type of truffle in the region to both groups of respondents due to its good light smell, delicacy, and soft white tissues. This was followed by Terfezia claveryi "Ikhlasi". Non-Bahraini respondents are more likely to believe that rain and soil (34%) or heavy thunder rains (23.4%) are the main factors responsible in truffle development, while Bahrainis perceive that an early heavy rainy season (57.8%) or soil type coupled with heavy rains (26.5%) are the most important reasons in truffle formation. Both respondent groups agree that heavy rains (>200 mm) during mild to warm weather, locally recognized as "Al-Wasm", coupled with heavy evening or early morning dewfalls and thunder and lightning are considered essential requirements for truffle formation. Trufflers in both groups similarly agree that mainly enjoying a good time was their motivations to collect truffles and not medicinal purposes. Truffle collection as a means for financial supplement and to pass this tradition from one generation to the next is no doubt another factors contributing for the collection. An analogous response from both groups indicated their unwillingness to buy truffles at relatively high price (mean 64%) or even off season but never objected to affordable price (mean 80.5%). About 95% of the non-Bahraini and 72% of the Bahraini respondents indicated their readiness to eat truffles for sexual reasons based on a physician's advice. The method used by almost 71% of the Bahraini respondents includes looking for an earth bulge with cracks on smooth surfaced sandy-loam soil whereas non-Bahrainis search randomly in unexploited desert habitats (49%) but not always looking for truffles, but by the presence of its host plant Helianthemum spp. (16.3%). For both groups, boiling the cleaned sliced truffle in salts and spices (mean 31%), or by deep-frying in local lamb ghee and spices (26%) is the most preferred way of eating truffles, while eating raw truffles is very rare. Finally, chilling cleaned truffles (45.6%) is the main method of preservation for short periods used by the Bahraini respondents, otherwise freezing (30.4%) is used for prolonged preservation, compared to non-Bahraini respondents who prefer freezing as the primary method (51.4%). Some Bedouins preserve clean truffles by pickling in 3-6% vinegar and salt. The influence of soil and environmental factors on truffle development and the role of desert truffles on traditional information, socioeconomic, ecology and sociocultural folklore in Bahrain are discussed.