On my latest holiday, I was on the Canary Islands.

After the first winter rains you can go and harvest Papas Crias (Desert Truffles) everywhere on the islands.

When the weather doesn't allow for sunbathing at the beach, foraging can be a nice activity during your holidays on The Canaries.
These truffles grow all over the islands and not many people seem to look for them.

I know too little about truffles to classify them correctly.
I was taught how to find them by a friend and I just stick to that.

When foraging Desert Truffles, keep looking for a round bulge in the sand.
With dry soil (sand ) you can see some cracks on top of the bulge - not always.

This looked promising ...

Took off the top ...

A truffle !

Once you touch them, you can be certain.

The Desert Truffles are much lighter and softer than rocks.
They have a 'mushroomy' smell.

I clean them off right before cooking so they keep a little longer.

Here is my loot:

(Fork for scale)

Since they don't have a strong taste, I prefer them with some garlic.
Slice them and add them to your omelette.

During my quick research for this post I found out, that these grow in Northern Africa too and all the way to Iran.
So for many people this is nothing special.

For me it was the first fresh truffle I ever had.

It is a very rewarding experience to find fresh food in a desert.

Don't give up, when you can't find them at first.

When foraging your senses gradually adapt to the surroundings and tasks and you find it much easier to find things over time.

Good luck !

Can you spot the truffle in this picture ?