Magic truffles are natural psychedelics that are legally available in Dutch smartshops. But what exactly is a 'magic truffle' and how does it relate to the world-famous mushroom that is banned in almost every country in the world, including the Netherlands? In this blog, we'll explain how it works!
An Underground Fungus
The term truffle is not only well-known in the world of psychedelics but also in gastronomy, where it is a valuable and sought-after product. However, it is certainly not the same as the psychedelic truffle you buy in Dutch smartshops. The true truffle, a flavor enhancer in many culinary dishes, is a fungus that grows on the roots of trees. These grow underground and are difficult, if not impossible, to cultivate. This makes the truffle a very expensive product, as it must be found and harvested in the wild. The magic truffle, also known as the 'philosophers' stone,' is also part of the fungal kingdom and grows underground but is not biologically a true truffle. The correct term for this part of the mushroom is 'sclerotia.' It can be seen as the food reserve of the fruiting body of the fungus, or the mushroom, and thus has a different function than the culinary truffle.
Network of Mycelium
A mushroom, including the magic mushroom, is the fruiting body of an underground fungal network called mycelium. This mycelium has a white thread-like structure and grows under and on the ground. If you have ever grown magic mushrooms yourself, you can clearly see this on the substrate you use. This network allows for the growth of fruiting bodies and nourishes these mushrooms. Under special circumstances, the mycelium creates food reserves, for example, if it is too hot or too cold. These food reserves look like tubers and are called sclerotia. The term 'truffle' is not biologically correct, but it sounds much nicer than 'sclerotia.'
What is a Magic Truffle?
Unlike the culinary truffle, the magic truffle (sclerotia) is easy to cultivate. Since the ban on magic mushrooms in the Netherlands in 2008, a way was found to legally offer people psychedelic experiences with psilocybin. From 2008 onwards, smartshops started offering the new and unknown magic truffles instead of mushrooms, which also contain the active substance psilocybin. These magic truffles are produced by using the fungal network of certain mushroom species and creating conditions that lead to the formation of sclerotia. A magic truffle is thus essentially a different part of the same organism and therefore has similar effects to a mushroom. Both contain the psychedelic substances psilocybin and psilocin. However, there are differences. The main difference is that mushrooms are generally 3 to 5 times stronger than truffles. Therefore, you need a higher weight of truffles than mushrooms for a similar effect. This has advantages and disadvantages, depending on your preferences. For microdosing, for example, it can be very useful to use a less concentrated psychedelic like truffles, so the risk of using too strong a dose is lower. However, most experienced psychonauts still prefer the classic magic mushroom.
