About Us
Why TruVista?
TruVista was founded by retina specialist Dr. Ahmad Tarabishy with the goal of using scientific methods to better understand the healing properties of desert truffle to treat common eye diseases.
About Desert Truffles
Desert truffles are subterranean fungi that have been a culinary and medicinal staple in arid regions for millennia. Unlike the prestigious European black or white truffles (Tuber genus), desert truffles—often called "Kame" or "Zubaidi"—thrive in the sandy soils of North Africa, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean basin.
Desert truffle, specifically Terfezia claveryi, is a mycorrhizal fungus, meaning it exists in a symbiotic relationship with specific host plants, primarily of the genus Helianthemum (sunroses). This relationship is vital for the truffle's survival in harsh environments; the plant provides carbohydrates via photosynthesis, while the truffle assists the plant in absorbing water and phosphorus from the nutrient-poor desert soil.
Visually, these truffles resemble small potatoes with a smooth, light-brown skin. They lack the intense, musky aroma of European truffles, instead offering a delicate, earthy flavor often compared to mushrooms with a hint of nuttiness.
The harvest is deeply tied to the weather. They appear in late winter and early spring, but only if the region received significant autumn rainfall (the "truffle rains"). Collectors identify their presence by looking for small, tell-tale cracks in the desert floor, where the expanding fungus pushes against the surface.
Historically mentioned in ancient Arabic and Islamic manuscripts and valued by the Romans, these "pearls of the desert" remain a symbol of seasonal abundance and a lucrative crop for local foragers. Some biblical scholars claim that the desert truffle may be the Manna that God brought down from heaven! Beyond their taste, Terfezia claveryi has extraordinary nutritional and medicinal properties, containing all essential amino acids, as well as potent antioxidants and antimicrobial properties.