Actively participate in the first international meeting on the European black truffle in Japan.
The black truffle (Tuber melanosporum) is, in addition to being a haute cuisine ingredient, a hypogeal organism that establishes a mycorrhizal symbiosis with tree species, an exceptional model for understanding the interaction between fungi, plants, and soil, generating multiple ecosystem services and social benefits.
This academic forum invites students and professionals to explore the truffle from a multidisciplinary perspective:
- Biological and ecological, analyzing its life cycle and the edaphoclimatic conditions that allow its fruiting.
- Agri-food, studying its organoleptic properties, conservation methods, and its impact on culinary innovation.
- Socioeconomic and cultural, discovering truffle tourism as a model for sustainable rural development and its potential for adaptation in Japan.
The conference is a unique opportunity to learn, investigate, and connect with European experts, opening new avenues for scientific and gastronomic cooperation between Europe and Japan.
Trufforum Tokyo 2026 Activity Program
Connecting cultures through truffles, science, and gastronomy
Thursday, March 5, 2026 | Tokyo University of Agriculture, Tokyo (Japan)
Coordination: Dr. Joaquin Latorre Minguell (European Mycological Institute) and Dr. Fernando Martínez Peña (National Institute of Agricultural and Food Research and Technology-CSIC).
12:30-13:00 h
Attendee registration
13:00-13:15 h
Institutional interventions
- Tokyo University of Agriculture – Dr. Fumio Eguchi. President.
- European Mycological Institute (EMI) – Dr. Joaquin Latorre Minguell.
- Ichimasa Kamaboko Co. Ltd. – Representative.
13:15-13:30 h
The current situation and potential of truffles in Japan
Prof. Dr. Fumio Eguchi, President of the Tokyo University of Agriculture
13:30-14:00 h
The European black truffle (Tuber melanosporum): description, ecology, production and harvesting techniques
Dr. Fernando Martínez Peña (National Institute of Agricultural and Food Research and Technology-CSIC), Ricardo Forcadell (Mytruff).
14:00-14:10 h
Technical break
14:10-14:50 h
Guided sensory experience: culinary and organoleptic properties of the European black truffle (Tuber melanosporum)
Paloma Lorente (Black Truffle Trained Tasting Panel of Teruel), Isabel Doñate Baselga (Atruter).
14:50-15:10 h
Truffle tourism in Europe: experiences and opportunities
Dr. Joaquin Latorre Minguell, European Mycological Institute (EMI).
15:10-15:25 h
Digital survey and Q session
Dr. Joaquin Latorre Minguell (EMI), Dr. Fernando Martínez Peña (INIA-CSIC, EMI).
15:25-15:30 h
Institutional closing and room change
15:30-16:00 h
Basic tasting + academic networking: canape with butter and truffle slices. Dialogue space between students, European researchers, and collaborating companies.
Video projection with the winning dish of the international «Cooking with Truffle» contest, organized in Soria by the regional government of Castilla y León (Spain).
16:30-17:00 h
Press conference
Dr. Fumio Eguchi (TUA)
President of the Tokyo University of Agriculture. Specialist in forest product chemistry and fungal science, he has promoted research in applied mycology, pharmacology, and sustainability, leading international academic cooperation and scientific knowledge transfer projects.
Dr. Joaquin Latorre Minguell (EMI)
Doctor in Economics from the University of Valladolid, Master in Marketing and Innovation, and graduate in Tourism. Secretary General of the European Mycological Institute, he researches mycotourism, mycological resources, and rural development, with international publications on forest management and non-timber products.
Dr. Fernando Martínez-Peña (INIA-CSIC, EMI)
Doctor Forest Engineer from the Polytechnic University of Madrid, specialized in edible fungi and sustainable management of mycological resources. Researcher at CCA-INIA-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) and Director of the European Mycological Institute (EMI).
Ricardo Forcadell (Mytruff)
Forest Engineer from the Polytechnic University of Valencia. Founder of the company Mytruff and expert in truffle cultivation and truffle silviculture. He has worked in forest management, environmental impact, and rural development.
Paloma Lorente (Tasting Panel of Black Truffle of Teruel)
Expert in organoleptic analysis of truffles and food quality standards, she directs the ATRUTER Tasting Panel. She has promoted initiatives for analysis, promotion, and dissemination of the Black Truffle of Teruel.
Isabel Doñate Baselga (Atruter)
Fourth-generation truffle grower and manager of the Association of Truffle Growers of Teruel, with five years of experience in sector management. Bachelor of Arts and Social Sciences, specialized in communication, focused on the professionalization of Tuber melanosporum cultivation and rural development.
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