Connoisseurs scour desert in hunt for truffles

The sweeping life style changes across the Gulf region particularly in the Kingdom, neighboring Kuwait and Qatar have had little impact at least in one aspect — the consumption of the seasonal desert truffle called Faqa.
This is quite conspicuous during winter, when health-conscious citizens make a beeline for make-shift stalls or parked vehicles vending truffle. Desert truffle known as Faqa is available right after the winter rains and its demand rises with the falling mercury.
Faqa is a gastronomic treasure that can be found hidden beneath sandy soil in the north-eastern region in general and in the surrounding areas of Hafar Al-Batin and Rafah in particular. A bumper crop of the truffle, after a 9-year gap, has attracted a large number of Saudis, Kuwaitis and Qataris according to traders who spoke with Arab News over the phone.
Faqa is used in local traditional medicine for treating eye, back, knee and leg ailments and is also known for its qualities as an aphrodisiac.
The abundant supplies of Faqa in the local markets are believed to be due to the heavy rains in the Kingdom.
“A small 2-kilogram carton of Faqa commands a price ranging upward of SR2,000,” Mishal Haddal Al-Shammari a resident of Hafar Al-Batin told Arab News on Saturday. He said that “Like some hundreds of youths, I have been busy collecting Faqa in the border areas for two weeks now.”
He said that one has to have eyes like a hawk to discover the spot in desert and dig out as much of the truffle as possible.
“Faqa has provided us with a great opportunity to make some money. Two weeks ago we sold a carton for SR5,000 and now it is going for SR2,000. The prices are expected to drop further in the coming weeks,” he said.
Faqa is also available in the northern border areas of Arar, Turaif and Rahfa but the light-colored Zubaidi as it is known in Hafar Al-Batin is considered of premium quality, he explained.
Sheikh Altaf, a long-time resident of Hafar Al-Batin said that, “We have been witnessing a huge influx of Kuwaitis and citizens from other areas into Hafar to purchase Faqa.”
He said that the entire process of searching for Faqa to sel it on the roadside is done by Saudis as they are familiar with the different qualities and are able to determine the price.
The search for Faqa is largely concentrated in Kuwait, Iraq and the bordering areas where hunters often trespass into restricted zones on the borders.
Admiral Mohammed Al-Ghamdi, spokesperson of the General Directorate of Border Guards has warned that “Border Guards will not tolerate anyone moving around the border areas in search of Faqa.” He added that Border Guards have noted an increasing presence and movement of people in the bordering areas in search of Faqa.