bu-o

Pictures not mine. Photo credit to the owner, Chef Theodore Day Salonga.

bo-u - /bu-ow/ Cordilleran fungi (Benguet province, Mountain Province, Ifugao province, and Abra province) [n.] Cordilleran false truffle.

Other local common names:

• bu-o or bu-buo in Bokod, Benguet - pronounced as /bu-ow/ and /bu bu-ow/
• bu-o in Mountain Province - pronounced as /bu-ow/ 
• kankannool in Abra Province - pronounced as /kan-kan-no-'l/
• atayan in Sagada, Mountain Province - pronounced as /a-ta-yan/ 

Some claimed they found truffles in the Philippines but only to find out that what they found was not a real truffle but a local version of False Truffle (Scleroderma polyrhizum) often found in the mountains of Benguet province of Cordillera Administrative Region in central Luzon, Philippines.

Local food writers, bloggers, and vloggers unofficially gave this ball-shaped fungus an English name as the Bokod Truffle, Benguet Truffle, or Cordilleran Truffle, dubiously introducing and attracting truffle enthusiasts. It is misleading being that  Cordilleran bu-o is not a real truffle. Opportunists even pass on and marketed this Cordilleran wild mushroom as an expensive Philippine truffle. Be wary that the taste and aroma of bu-o are insignificant and far behind from the real truffle.

Bu-o would spontaneously sprout on the ground at the start of rainy seasons (year-end in the Philippines) towards the end of summer (mid-year) of the following year. It is not like the real truffle that would grow underground (subterranean) and be classified as among the tubers. Real truffle often needs a trained sniffing dog to easily detect and find one. However, in Cordillera, you don't need a sniffing dog to find a bu-o as you can easily find it sprouting out on the ground.

While still young, bu-o is completely white inside and looks similar to button mushrooms. Young bu-o is savored by Cordillerans just like the way usual mushrooms are taken as food. As the bu-o matures, the inside would develop dark spots and starts to look like truffles. 

The semblance in the appearance of the inside part of matured bu-o, particularly when cut, could easily fool anyone to assume it as a true truffle. But its thick outer layer (skin) is a giveaway telltale that it is not a true truffle.

In Cordillera, bu-o is prepared by peeling the thick light-brown skin off and slicing thinly the black inside portion. The slices are sautéed in garlic, onion, and ginger and added with vegetables (e.g. sliced green beans, kangkong, or chayote) towards the end of sautéing. To enhance taste, the dish is seasoned with a dash of salt, pepper, and pouring drops of vinegar and soy sauce.

So far, no incident of toxicity or poisoning had been reported or recorded yet from those who have taken this false truffle of central Luzon. Nonetheless, one has to be extra careful when taking this as food. Some mycology experts warned that this species could be toxic and may cause gastrointestinal disorders or even death. One has to be prudent when serving this wild mushroom. The adverse effect may take some time to manifest. Meanwhile, we don't find yet any known chemical sampling and toxicity test of bu-o to settle this issue. More studies and research are needed for this. If you know something, share it for awareness.

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References:

• Earth balls(Scleroderma), https://www.childrens.health.qld.gov.au/poisonous-plant-earth-balls-scleroderma/

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