The interest in truffles has grown intensively in Finland in recent years. In 2006 Finland’s first wild truffles were discovered in Lahti with the help of a truffle dog; before that only occasional discoveries had been made. The first cultivated truffles in Finland were harvested in Juva in the autumn of 2012. The natural truffle production around the world is plummeted drastically in recent decades due to several reasons. Therefore the development of truffle cultivation technique is a global and topical issue.

The purpose of this study was to produce a comprehensive literature review of the biology, species and cultivation of truffles. This thesis also introduces the history, current situation and future prospects of Finnish truffle cultivation by interviewing operators in the field. The idea to this thesis came from the guidance teacher.

This thesis was largely carried out as literary study. A phone interview was used to acquire information to the section ‘Wild Truffles’. Domestic cultivation issues were studied primarily with the Juva Truffle Center. In addition two Finnish truffle growers who are taking part in the truffle cultivation project of Juva Truffle Center were interviewed. The interviews were executed as focused interviews.

Based on the literature review it can be concluded that truffle cultivation is economically very profitable around the world. Truffles are in high demand around the world. In Finland truffle yields have still been very small, but based on the literature review it can be assumed that in the future it is possible to produce truffles profitably even in Finland. However, there are challenges and risks. In ten years, truffle cultivation in Finland has changed from utopian dreaming to a potential subject of research. Many operators in the field work for truffle research to develop a practical way for producing domestic truffles for commercial use suitable for Finnish conditions. This thesis offers Finnish information on the biology of Ascomycota fungus and truffles and on the current state of truffle cultivation for those who are interested in the topic.