'A blessing from God': Iraqi truffle hunters unearth desert harvest

Photos

Login / Sign Up

Saturday, November 23, 2024

Gold / Forex

Photos News

'A blessing from God': Iraqi truffle hunters unearth desert harvest

When there is no work, truffles are a source of income

Published: March 16, 2021 14:45 Reuters and Compiled by Devadasan K P, Picture Editor

1 of 14

LEAD 1-1615890666549 — "Here it is, the truffle, a blessing from God!" Zahra Buheir carefully digs out a desert truffle from the sandy earth and shows it off between her calloused fingers."Rain came, and then thunder, bringing truffles up to the surface," the 72-year-old said. Above, Zahra Buheir, 72, a truffle hunter, makes bread in the desert in Samawa, Iraq. Image Credit: REUTERS

2 of 14

LEAD 2-1615890669816 — Braving the harsh weather of Iraq's southern desert, as well as left-behind land mines, Buheir and her family of seven have spent weeks hunting for the seasonal truffles that have provided them with an income for generations. Above, Ra'ad Abdelemir, a trader, sorts truffles in a tent at a market in Samawa. Image Credit: REUTERS

3 of 14

TEA LEAD 3-1615890672260 — A truffle seller sits at a market in the city of Samawa. Image Credit: REUTERS

4 of 14

TRUFFLE 2.JPG-1615890675297 — Fetching its hunters up to $7 a kilo this year, Iraq's desert truffle is cheaper than its rarer European cousins that can cost hundreds of dollars or more a kilo. Above, women extract truffles in the desert in Samawa, Iraq. Image Credit: REUTERS

5 of 14

TRUFFLE 4-1615890678480 — Hussein Abu Ali (right), a car driver, carries boxes of truffles in the desert in Samawa. Image Credit: REUTERS

6 of 14

TRUFFLE 5-1615890681623 — But with Iraq's economy in crisis, the local variety are a big help to Buheir and her family. Image Credit: REUTERS

7 of 14

TRUFFLE 6-1615890684568 — This year the rain came late and Buheir could only find about a kilo of truffles a day, one tenth of what she would dig up in a good year. Turning over stones and poking the earth with her bare hands, Buheir's granddaughter, 5-year-old Riyam, accompanied her parents to learn a trade and the desert lifestyle. Image Credit: REUTERS

8 of 14

TRUFFLE 7-1615890687648 — Mohsen Farhan, 31, a truffle hunter, eats food with his family in a tent in the desert in Samawa. "When there is no work, truffles are a source of income. And we are happy here," said Farhan. Image Credit: REUTERS

9 of 14

TRUFFLE 8-1615890690895 — Learning to hunt for truffles these days also involves understanding the desert's dangers. "We are afraid of wolves, there are a lot here. And there are mines. A while ago, someone died," Farhan said. Image Credit: REUTERS

10 of 14

TRUFFLE 9-1615890694076 — Every few days, Hussein Abu Ali, drives into the desert from the city of Samawa to take the truffles to market. There, Ali Tajj al-Din sells them at auction, each with a different name according to size. Image Credit: REUTERS

11 of 14

TRUFFLE 10-1615890697108 — Salma Mohsen, 10, poses for a photo holding a truffle in the desert in Samawa. Image Credit: REUTERS

12 of 14

TRUFFLE 11-1615890699743 — Abu Jakka Farhan, a truffle hunter, sits in the desert in Samawa. Image Credit: REUTERS

13 of 14

TRUFFLE 12-1615890702322 — But customers at Samawa's "Beit al-Hatab" restaurant relish its weekly truffle speciality. "We fry or grill them, but the favourite dish is truffles on rice," said restaurant owner Fawwaz Hatab. Image Credit: REUTERS

14 of 14

new — People eat truffles at the restaurant Beit al-Hatab, in Samawa. Image Credit: Reuters

Latest In

Trending: Saudi's IPL entry; Girl strangled to death

55 minutes ago
32 killed in new sectarian violence in Pakistan

1 hour ago
UAE, Indonesian Presidents witness exchange of MoUs

1 hour ago
'Philippine VP made 'active threat' on Marcos' life'

1 hour ago
Dubai unveils region’s first floating police station

1 hour ago

This website stores cookies on your computer. These cookies are used to improve your experience and provide more personalized service to you. Both on your website and other media. To find out more about the cookies and data we use, please check out our Privacy Policy.